This is indeed making a mountain over a molehill. Leave Mugabe alone!!! The man has the freedom (obviously) to do and say whatever he wants. Before I go any further, let me put things into perspective. Our champion of African Nationalism the esteemed Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe has made claims that Jamaica is (notice the quotation marks) "a country of marijuana smokers, where women are now taking charge since men are always sloshed" (a way cool way to say stoned, in my opinion). He went on further to say: "while marijuana is illegal in Jamaica, citizens are free to smoke and that men are always drunk, while universities were full of women." Well, being Jamaican and trying to be frank and unbiased let me ask one simple question - is the man lying?
We are all champions of the "Freedom of Speech" Ideal until somebody says something that "mash wih corn" the right and proper way. Bear in mind youngsters - there is no true freedom to do anything, we are fooled into believing that living in a state that has laws, once we are not "shackled" then we are "free." Fallacy!!! The law is indeed a shackle (nice segue into something totally unrelated to the issue - I should have been in politics). Anyway, there is some truth in what the man says or it deserves some looking into at least. Before we get upset examine what was said and see if there is merit to it. The truth a go hurt them and the backlash from Moogs' remarks is evidence to support that claim.
Remember the Human Trafficking Claim the US laid against Jamaica? Everybody (and dem dog) who was anybody was hopping mad or at best offended, then when the dust settled and we were all distracted by either the ignoble distinction of being murder capital of the world or the fact that we had a government in absentia, though they were right there in Gordon House, there were more committees on Human Trafficking set up than you could shake a stick at, or more aptly put - than there are fishes in (eh em) the aforementioned "House". Well, any well thinking career criminal knows never admit right away, give it a few months.
It is not the unflattering remarks that were passed that hurts, it is the fact that they are so truthful and strikes well home that we are offended at the fact that someone has pointed out the bit of dry snot (booger) that's in our nose so ostensibly that its not what was said that hurts, it's how its said, where its said and in what context. Well, that is to be expected from a man who is known for not mincing his words, he doesn't hold down his mouth when he is talking. I'd rather hear the truth from a man like that than hear words of obvious "adulation" from the most eloquent of speakers.
Update....
Let me point out one thing, when last have all of you people who are shooting down Mugabe's comments really walked down the streets? When last have you really gone to UWI, UTech or NCU and seen what really takes place there? Are we totally oblivious the "sloshed-out" men who are always "digging-out" there hand middles and the pubs on every corner packed to the rafters with strong able-bodied men? There is in fact some truth to what Moogs has said. We are just hurt that it took a loudmouth the likes of Mugabe to point it out. Had it been one of the more affable World-Leaders like Obama or any less unsavoury personality we wouldn't have had a problem with them. But it seems to be cool in international circles to whale on Mugabe the minute he opens his mouth, because of his allegedly racist and misogynistic actions in the past .
I am blessed to be part of a dying breed of Jamaicans, the educated male, I have heard Moogs' exact sentiments relayed in other quarters by other individuals who are less-unsavoury like Carolyn Cooper and Glenda Simms without the same backlash as those met by his. It obviously is not a matter of what was said but who said it and where and in what context. As Jamaicans you have to have your heads buried in the sand to not be aware of the truth (that may or may not be stretched a bit) that is inherent in these remarks. Apparently, we [Jamaicans] never like when someone points out our flaws so ostensibly. It does hurt like hell as the truth often happens to do from time-to-time.
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