On the down-low

Photo by Chrysaora - Anti gay grafitti in JA

I know men who have sex with men but they hide that homosexuality by publicly having relationships (and sex) with women.  It’s called being on the down-low.

The subject has been raised by Jamaican Senator for the opposition PNP party, Sandrea Falconer who wants guys who do this, prosecuted under a new sexual offences bill going through the parliament.

She’s also concerned that the new bill is going to legalise sex between men.

What I don’t appreciate about bi-sexual men or men on the down-low is the deceit and the general pain and hurt that will inevitably come about from their actions.  However hard it is, surely it is better to be open about your sexual status than to hide it in this horrible web of lies?  Jamaican society should help them to be open rather than maintaining the hypocrisy and pretending that it doesn’s exist by driving these men further down on the down-low.

Gaza or Gully?

Photo by h-sinc

Rather than paintings of Haile Selassie on the walls in Kingston, you are more likely to see tags saying Gaza or Gully right now.

Photo by amataiclaudius

The battle going on between dancehall artist, Vybz Kartel (who’s uncompromising and tough sound from the streets gives him the Gaza tag) and Movado – the singjay, a cross between DJ and singer – better known as the Gully God because of the place he comes from in Kingston- Cassava Piece, with its’  huge gully running through it.  This photo is not Cassava Piece, but just in case you’re wondering what a gully looks like.

So Gaza or Gully?

I have said on this blog before, that I am long standing Kartel fan, but I was feeling Movado more.  But there’s been a turnaround.  Kartel is back on top.  I’m really feeling his track, Money on My Mind and even ramping shop I was liking that.   But will musical battle spill over into violence?  I don’t reckon so, but with the mix of social problems that inner city Kingston has, I can understand why some might be worried.  Are you?

Right now, I am mainly listening to …

Mr Vegas – So Blessed

Laden – Time to Shine

Sweet JA

Photo by skibler - it's sugar cane water

I’ve been looking into the sugar industry in Jamaica because thousands of workers are about to get redundancy payments.

I came across this article and it confuses me.

I have posted before about the IMF’s relationship with Jamaica and how disastrous it has been - see this post here.

Photo by choheisel

If the IMF were making these recommendations to get rid of JA’s sugar industry in 2006, and that this is being implemented now, well – this does not bode well for a new way of doing business in terms of putting conditions onto future loans.  Losing the sugar industry is creating unemployment and perhaps greater food insecurity in Jamaica?   See what happened in Haiti.

How about tackling the rich countries and the subsidies they offer their farmers rather than saying that the sugar fields of Jamaica should go?  But it’s probably too late now – I wonder if the loss of sugar is that bad a thing anyway – given its’ history  – see this great photo here.

10 Jamaican police forced into retirement

These 10 police officers in Jamaica were forced into early retirement because they were thought to be involved in criminal activity.  A huge lottery scam a subject I have blogged about before, see this post.

But instead of bringing criminal charges against them, they have been retired early in the “public interest”.   Is it just me, or does this seem odd?

How can there be no evidence against them for such a wide scale fraud?  Do they have no assets?  There must be some pretty strong suspicions if they were forced to retire. In fact, the force couldn’t even prove misconduct against them.  If they cannot investigate matters like this, what does this say about the ability of the police to investigate themelves  – especially when it comes to the issue of police shootings in the form of extra judicial killings or is that a euphemism for murder.