Negril is considered the most beautiful beach in
Jamaica. With white sands and an incredibly large wading shelf,
it is paradise for the sun worshipper. The sunsets are outstanding,
and the quiet chirp of tropical birds and insects makes for a very
peaceful experience.
Walking down the beach is another story though. With the Jamaican
hustlers patiently waiting, you can't walk down the beach without
at least twenty of them yelling any number of hustler clichés
like, "No cost to look" and my personal favorite, "Respek
Mon" which is a one way street for many of these pushers.
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A view from the Beach House Villa on Negril Beach, Jamaica
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A rastafarian approaching a foreigner for a rip off. |
Racism. Everyday you repeatedly hear "Whiteman!",
"Oscar!", and a number of other names that the Hustlers
or "Higglers" shout at you while you're walking in public.
When trying to purchase a meal, or even at the supermarket, I had
many Jamaicans that just went on strike right in front of me because
I was white. They would just ignore you, and these are people working
in public service.
Once, I had a manager of the local supermarket place a bag of food
right in the middle of my groceries during checkout. It was obviously
meant to intimidate me, but I just shrugged it off, moved his bag
out of my stuff, and continued like nothing happened.
If you're white you get the "Whiteman discount", which
means the street vendors quadruple the price if you're white, even
if you just saw them sell for a quarter of what the Jamaican in
front of you paid, you still get the "discount".
Many Americans would side with the Jamaicans saying "Well I
can understand, they've been through so much suffering because of
the white man". Really? like what? Slavery? No slaves exist,
and there are definitely no slavemasters living either. My grandpa
had a difficult life, he was a badly abused orphan who spent many
years living in a barn. Does someone owe me? Am I allowed to have
any special privledges like the ability to trick a particular type
of person? Because someone who looked like someone else who commited
a crime?
People forget that white people have also been enslaved, and black
people have been slave owners. What happened a hundred and fifty
years ago, can't stop me, can it stop you?
Another question, if you went anywhere in the world, and white people
treated you in this rude way, would you give them the benefit of
the doubt? Of course not.
So really you are being the most racist by saying, "Let's accept
that they are rude because they are black." Much like you would
for people with disabilities, you're indirectly saying that black
people need extra leeway. That's racism. |
Many Jamaicans have always felt the same way.
Most Jamaicans don't try to exploit the foreigner, it the 1% that makes
the rest look ugly.
If you defend this percent simple because they are black, you are a racist.
Summary:
Everyone's equal, we shouldn't even mention race in laws or rules. Doing
so takes away a person's dignity and self respect. Treat everyone with
Equality, and things might start to become normal.
Sunset view from Negril Beach.
Some of the most beautiful sunsets in the world, sink nightly into the
ocean west of Negril, Jamaica.
Jamaica - Negril Beach
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