Is the Noise Abatement Act of Jamaica Still Relevant? Does the Government Understand our Late Night

After reading an editorial carried by the Observer this morning in which a senior citizen complained about his inability to sleep at night due to noise from blaring sound systems in his community, my question to the government is how effective or relevant is the Noise Abatement Act that was implemented? In my opinion, this is just another stylish name given to a policy that serves no purpose. From my understanding, sound systems are given until 2am to play loud music at events but way after this cut off time, I still hear music blaring into the wee hours of the morning and note I don’t reside in a ghetto community. We can’t dispute the fact that police officers are tipped by event promoters to continue playing loud music after 2am. That’s how dirty & corrupt the Jamaican system is!

Some years ago during Portia’s first tenure in office, I recall, the then Netherlands ambassador complaining publicly about his inability to sleep at night because of sound system noise. I was so ashamed, I assumed having read of the ambassador’s plight that Portia herself would be ashamed and would do something about this plague that stalks the land. But obviously being naïve, I obviously overestimated her tolerance for shame since she continuously embarrasses herself on public platforms.

The fact that people, young or old unable to sleep at night is neither here nor there to members of our government because at nights they’re comfortably tucked away (their place of residence aren’t prone to these outrageous events). I’m truly concerned about people suffering at nights; the senior citizens the young and all the people Portia claims she loves. If you loved us, you and the rest of your party wouldn’t allow us to suffer this kind of injustice night after night.

Believe me, you don’t need to be a psychiatrist, to relate these conditions to hopelessness, criminality and a backward economy. Please don’t say that amplified screaming, shouting, swearing and thumping throughout the entire night, every night, is about freedom of expression and having fun. It is not! It’s about those same delinquents I mentioned exercising the freedom to destroy and bring this society down to their level of depravity.

Avoid advising the distressed to call the police, it doesn’t work; this is beyond the police, it’s in your hands. You must ignore all political considerations, arrive at a consensus with the opposition and solve this problem now, not 18 months from now. This is a nightmare, that goes on and on.

Are we a civilized society or a cesspool infested by vermin? You do marvelously well at raising taxes and debt but I am asking you to step away from your comfort zone for a while and really do something positive for the people of this country. Imagine a prime minister who has no interest in the current events in her country? May God help us.

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