Jamaica Gleaner

Be haunted to challenge the four ‘criminals’ of the world

- To help, please call Silton Townsend @ 334-8165, 884-3866, or deposit to acct # 351 044 276 NCB or send donations to HELLO NEIGHBOUR C/o 53 Half-Way Tree Road, Kingston 10; Paypal/credit card; email: zicron22@yahoo.com. Or contact email: helloneigh­bour@ya

HELLO, MI neighbour! The world is searching for haunted people! Haunted enough to challenge laziness, corruption, dishonesty and unkindness wherever these exist!

These four ‘criminals’ have besieged the world for millennia. They are rampant in every sphere of life, influencin­g behaviours in government, business, home, church, etc.

Problem is, these deviant behaviours have been ‘institutio­nalised’.

The ‘criminal’ called laziness carries out its operations by preventing people from exerting their abilities. It encourages procrastin­ation, idleness and frivolity.

If you are affected by the ‘micaan-badda, mek-somebody-else-do-it’ attitude, you have been possessed by laziness and need deliveranc­e, pronto!

The other ‘criminal’, corruption, is a ‘general’, twinned with dishonesty. These two tend to govern the activities of persons or organisati­ons entrusted with the authority to make decisions on behalf of others.

Dishonesty, as a stand-alone, is responsibl­e for much of the cheating, lying, and deliberate deception which guide world affairs. All of the above stem from unkindness, which is always inconsider­ate and harsh.

Acts of laziness, corruption, dishonesty and unkindness go unnoticed because everyone practises them at varying degrees.

Important matters fall through the cracks because someone was too lazy to attend to them on time. Though qualified for the job, Mr So and So was not considered because of the presence of corruption in the organisati­on.

Some persons are still languishin­g in the cold because the individual who made the faithful promise to them was a dishonest (samfie) man. And if you didn’t know, unkindness is behind the prevalence of hungry families right here in Jamaica.

WHO IS MONITORING THEM?

And who is monitoring these ‘criminals’? Is there anyone who is haunted enough to make a significan­t difference?

To be haunted here does not mean being inhabited or frequented by ghosts, but to become overwhelmi­ngly disturbed or distressed over certain issues.

Whenever someone is deeply distressed or disturbed over a particular matter, he/she becomes restless until the matter is resolved.

Many of those who fought and won battles for the betterment of humanity were quite likely haunted by a desire to see a change. Some who fought and died for the abolition of slavery, quite likely, were haunted by its cruelty.

And I could reel off example after example, but space does not allow. Got the gist, though?

I invite us to examine ourselves to see where we fall short and allow ourselves to be haunted by the effects of laziness, corruption, dishonesty and unkindness, to the extent where we refuse to accommodat­e them in any shape, size or form in our space.

At the same time, let’s make it a duty to be purveyors of honesty, kindness, alacrity and probity wherever these matter. Apprise yourself of the necessary steps to take in this regard and go for it. You’ll be glad you did!

And while you are at it, please remember someone from the list below who could very well be a victim of laziness, corruption, dishonesty and unkindness.

THANKS TO NEIGHBOURS

Karlene, St Andrew – for contributi­on.

Annmarie, St Andrew – for assisting single mother in Westmorela­nd.

Mrs McNab – for donation of clothing.

Latoya – for contributi­on.

Rema, St Andrew – for contributi­on.

Marilyn, St Andrew – for food items.

John, St Andrew – for act of kindness.

OPPORTUNIT­IES TO HELP

Kevauhn, St Mary – asking for a laptop or a tablet for better organisati­on and preparatio­n of his schoolwork.

Emily, St Catherine -–needs a little food and money to buy eye drops. Stroke victim.

Brother Moses, St Catherine – maimed by an accident; in need of food and a fan.

Anniesha, St Andrew – asking for food and help with backto-school supplies.

Veronica, Trelawny – got burnt out, asking for a stove.

Miss Stewart, unemployed – asking for assistance with food and back-to-school supplies for one-year-old. Also asking for prayer.

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