Caring for the park
THE EDITOR, Madam:
THE CONCEPT of ‘the care of the park’ is an interesting one. Surveys have shown that the care of the park is neglected by an average of 30 per cent of the population, who use or benefit from it directly or indirectly. If you are selling your house, you want to add the amenity of a nearby park to its attraction. You can send your kids to the park, meet others socially at the park, and walk or jog in the park from time to time. But are you prepared to refrain from littering the park? Are you prepared to contribute to its upkeep and upgrading? Are you willing to refrain from littering the park when garbage containers are in full view?
Let us look at maintenance fees for gated communities.
The strata pays for the security, lighting for safety in the common areas, and keeping the landscape attractive. However, a good 30 per cent of property owners in strata living spaces are prepared to enjoy those benefits without paying their monthly maintenance fees. They have no issue with taking a free ride on the backs of others.
I pull over off the Palisadoes road in Kingston for a breathtaking view of our Kingston Harbour from time to time. Families and friends gather there to chill out and to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. When you look around, you see empty plastic bottles and discarded food containers littering the area, which eventually ends up in our precious harbour. We are prepared to pollute the sixthlargest natural harbour in the world, and Jamaica’s largest.
The selfishness of our Western-influenced society is bound to produce this self-centred, antisocial behaviour. It starts in the home. On my trip to Ghana in 1996, I visited the home of a Ghanaian family. I n speaking with the mother of the family, she told me that children come to their parents from a tender age to ask for their daily duties. In our homes, taking care of the home is mommy’s job (and we know housework never ends), while the kids are busy on their tablets and phones. This lack of social responsibility is a learnt behaviour nurtured by poor ‘soft-love’ parenting.
Let us teach and insist that parents have their sons and daughters take care of their most valuable investment – the home. After all, these uncaring children will eventually inherit theses spaces. It makes sense, and it cultivates a deep culture of responsibility and accountability, while encouraging the l ove, care and respect of those who provide their shelter called home. When these well-prepared children become adults, they will understand the good i n paying their strata fees on time, refraining from littering the park, and keeping our shorelines free of plastics and other refuse.
BERT SAMUELS Attorney-at-law bert.samuels@gmail.com