Do we love this land!
Yes we do, but maybe it is only sometimes.

I was at a school leaving function for six year olds. They sang the National Anthem and my question was,’ Little ones, do you love Jamaica? I got a resounding ‘Yes Miss!’ but a lone voice in the row to the back said, “No”. I asked the yeses what do you love? Their answer, my mother, my school, the trees, the cars. Then I asked the one negative reply, “Why did you say you do not love Jamaica?” He said, “I hate to hear the guns being fired when I am in my bed.” The honesty of this little boy made me say to the audience, “Out of the mouths of babes.” This little boy spoke the truth, he is frustrated with the gun firing in the Kingston 11 area. The principal’s report confirmed the little boy’s concern. She said that many of the children have reverted to biological functions at night which should not happen at this stage of their lives. When there is gun fire in the days, some of the children have these ‘biological accidents’ right in the classes. The trauma experienced by these children will haunt them all their lives. Trauma results in fear, fear cripples you mentally, emotionally and can manifest itself physically. Do we understand why some of these children cannot learn at school?

Some years ago the children in August Town would keep their back packs on their backs throughout the school hours. My investigation resulted in the following, “We keep them there so that if we have to run from the gun men we do not have to search for our bags.”

Do we love this land? I love your term, “circumnavigation” how aptly that describes how many of us function. If we do not circumnavigate, then by the process of osmosis we will become just as the elements who create a society that breeds fear.