Fantasy Island---I think it's too late to make that statement because I was just in Jamaica not to too long ago and there is American hotel after hotels going up all over the place...let alone Burger Kings MacDonalds Pizza hut and Kentucky Fried Chicken and believe it or not I bet you Walmart will be next! And like I said before I see only one thing wrong with this.

If the U.S. is going to bring these company's to Jamaica they need to pay the Jamaican people the same wages as they get in the U.S. and secondly, these companys are bringing jobs to Jamaica and I see nothing wrong with that. And I also see nothing with Jamaicans coming to the states Geezzzzz we Amercans come to Jamaica by the boat and plane loads all the time.

The white man in American know that black people are very smart intelligent people since the beginning of time..Black people built the Pyramids didn't they! The Jamaican people know how to run a country and that is what makes me so proud of being black. By looking at this country of Jamaica with black people running it.

It makes me feel proud to walk inside of a bank and look at all the black people runnning it who are bank tellers with a black bank president and it just doesn't stop there. Many black people running there own business. I don't think that the country of Jamaica would allow the U.S. to step in and take over like that. That is where the new Prime Minister would draw the line.

So far under the leadership of Prime Minister PJ Patterson from what I hear from some the Jamaican people things haven't been going to good for the country of Jamaica for a long time and it could be better.

I am feeling you on all of this bountyx, and I hope in the near future we will unite.

There are Jamaicans that are already living here in the U.S. who are aganist the idea of this happening but they can easily say this when they are sitting here in America reaping the benefits of America. Now don't get me wrong, the Jamaicans that are already here, you are more then welcome to be apart of my country. I have no problem with that. I have a great love for Jamaica and the Jamaican people.

All I am saying is---to allow other Jamaican's the opportunity to come and see America without all the hassels. And the hassels is all a money scam at the embassey in my opinion. The more Jamaican's that run to the embassey in Kingston and get turned down, the same Jamaican people spend their money over and over again to go through the same process many times over and that's not right!

Some of the Jamaican people want to come for many different reasons, if not just for the desires of wanting to see America and experience it for themselves for the first time. And I as an American welcome you with open arms.

I want America to open up the doors to Jamaica by making it possible for Jamaicans to come to American with no problems just in the same manner that I come to your country.

And I am so glad that I had the opportunity to step on the shore of Jamaica, and not to get my groove back because I never lost it and that was never my intentions. I came because I heard about an Island called Paradise and just that word alone made me want to come and see.

God then gave me the desires of my heart. When I got to Jamaica I learned about a thriving black country and through my experiences, it turned my life around by teaching me a new way of thinking amongst many other things but most importantly of all this blessed country made me to be proud of whom I am as a black person.

Believe it or not, Jamaican can open the eyes up of many more black American people who are mentally asleep. Yes, Jamaica can bring awarness to the American Blacks because some here are still in the dark...

Thank you Jamaica and God bless....Momma Star!

Ah bwoy...

Mi really wish govt. woulda really prove seh dem really know weh dem a do, but dats anedda story altogether...

There are benefits and drawbacks to joining up with the US. The whole thing of national and cultural identity is a major issue. Jamaicans pride themselves in the fact that they have their own identity. I've heard black Americans complain of not having as strong a sense of identity being black people in the US. There is concern that if Jamaica were to be assimilated into the US, we too may experience that feeling of loss of culture and identity.

Economically, there is the potential for benefits, but the question is whether those benefits would really flow to those in need here in Jamaica? What assurance would the citizens of Jamaica have, that if we were to become part of the US, that we would be treated fairly, and not just be exploited for America's gain? Just being an American isn't a guarantee of fair treatment or reaping great economic benefits. Plenty poor black people in the US who can't get the kind of help and support they need. Look at the New Orleans situation after Katrina. What guarantee would Jamaicans have that we would be treated better than how blacks in the US are treated now?

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"Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake." - Matthew 5 v11 KJV

Very waggish indeed.

I don't think we should after all thats why we got our independence. However I do belive there has to be some drastic changes done to the entire island because corruption is so normal it almost seems innate. There needs to be some new blood in the government its all the same old faces reappering only with a different mask on to get the vote.
But see change is always feared because of all the unknows however you can't live in fear sometimes has to take a leap and have faith that it'll all work out. I'm sure there are advanatages to becoming a part of the US but like everything else in life there are also disadavantages but I believe that if we as Jamaicans become unified that we can indeed get our country to not be a part of the US but to benchmark some of the systems that they have in place.
Also why we would we want to become a part of a country that also have their own struggles(i.e. getting aid to Katrina victims), point being we have good resources in our country the problem is there are no incentives for people to want to try anything. Look at the fact that Jamaica has so many boxcite and its not being fully utilized instead we spend more on trying to attract tourists to the island.
Give people land to farm, raise animals,etc that will be better for the economy that what Jamaica gets from each dollar for tourism. I have to say some of our past leaders like Manley and Garvey had the right ideas only we never took the time to listen to them and now we are where we are.........borrowing money from IMF!
UNITY first and everything after....we need to stop these politicians who are just exploiting us because withmore than half of the population being illeterate how do these same people vote?
Basically, I'm oppossed I say make the necessary changes and we can do it on our own with a solid plan and a true leader!

Big up Minilik on your comment excellent points to consider! Plus democracy is not full proof look at what happened with the presidential election....recount?,PLEASE!

I agree with this half of the post sir, this is something that Jamaica should consider. I would hate to see our brothers and sisters in Jamaica fall victim to the crazy ways of America. That is not my argument though, i was sadden by the statement of being under British rule. If our brothers and sisters can maintain their culture and deep African heritage then that would be great.

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submit ourselves to THE LIVING GOD with all mind body and soul

I don't understand most of your post. You quoted me so i assume that you were directly talking to me. Correct me if I'm wrong. You mention the pyramids going up in Egypt which we built as black people, then you mentioned about the burger kings and McDonald's going up on the island. That is the same as the Romans putting up there statues in egypt. What did that do??? that was a brainwashing attempt to put their stamp on egypt. Which is the same thing the white man would do in America. Like bountyx said. "what makes you think that the American white man would care about Jamaicans if they don't care about African-Americans" to be honest what happen in the hurricane should give you even more of a reason to stay away from America as far as uniting. I wouldn't be too happy about them nasty fast food places going up, jobs or not. The white man wants everybody to eat like them. Look at us african-americans eating all the wrong foods in the world and the health problems that we have. Putting that nasty foods there will be a slow death. I will agree with you as far as seeing black people in the banks and places of that matter. It would make me proud too. How about trying to unite with the other islands that our brothers and sisters live on??

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submit ourselves to THE LIVING GOD with all mind body and soul

We as black people have a choice of what we eat. So I don't believe that the white man wants us to eat like them because alot of us know what's good for us to eat and what is not. As a matter of fact my daughter is a vegeterian and I don't eat pork nor any can foods and I am still getting more and more aware of what's good for me and what is not.

Also it's not a point whether the white man care about you or not....The point is, black people in America have to start learning how to care about themselves. Black people must start learning the golden rule--A house divided will not stand...we are strong in numbers.

We as black Americans cannot stand by waiting for the white man to do something for us. Black people must quit depending on handouts from the white man and become an independent black race and have our own just like the Jamaicans in Jamaica, and even if as you say the gov. don't know what they are doing Jamaica is still a thriving black independent country. And there are many ways that black Americans can do the same.

No one can ever tear down ones identity as a Jamaican here in America. Where I live there is a Jamaican community that bands together that waves the Jamaican flag high who never forgets who they are and where they
come from.

I have decided not to touch this topic anymore because it is a very sensitive subject and I understand how the Jamaican people feel but all I was saying is that I open you with open arms to my country. No harm intended....

The only assurance that the U.S. can give the Jamaican people would be on a document drafted out and signed.

I can sit here all day and dream dreams of Jamaican being free to come and go to America without any hassles but I don't believe the U.S. will ever let that happen. I would love to see it become a reality but who am I.....Although I will be the one standing by to vote yes.

I am a Black American who knows where my ancestors come from having a African and European background but I will go futher then that....I trace my roots all the way back to my Heavenly Father and it can't get no better then that....We all are God children no matter where you come from. It is so sad when we have to resort to seperating ourselves from one another....God is not pleased because we are family....

Again I disagree with you, Jamaica owns their country and African-Americans do not own America. So from the stand point alone you have to look at it in a different light. We don't even own most of our communities Star. When we can run our own communities and keep our dollar in house then maybe we can start doing what the jamaicans do in jamaica. Star you wrote that no one can tear down ones identity, i believe that to be untrue only based on history, when many our our leaders spoke to us, one of the first things they would say is that "we don't even know who we are". I can't speak for the jamaicans but i understand you are a African-american like myself. Our identity was torn and ripped to shreds until our leaders built it back up. So i disagree with that portion of your post. The first half of your post, that has been the cry since the dawn of our fight. Again star when you write that there are many ways for us to own our own like the Jamaicans, we should start by owning our communities.

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submit ourselves to THE LIVING GOD with all mind body and soul

I'm not to sure about this one. The politically correct thing to say is that we have a choice of what we eat. If we have no control and the money is not there for us to put up healthy stores for us and the babies to eat from, what will happen? The more burger kings and pizza huts you have ,the chances of the majority not just a few, but I'm talking about the majority will eat what the community provides for them.

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submit ourselves to THE LIVING GOD with all mind body and soul

About the cultural identity, i will agree that jamaicans are closer to their African roots, like other places in the caribbean. African-A. Had to create a sorta new identity for themselves within the land. With touches of the african culture. Though our true spirit lies within us. What ever is not cool, or white liked will be misunderstood as it gets closer to the people. Then a shakeup of the culture will begin.

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submit ourselves to THE LIVING GOD with all mind body and soul

sorry made a mistake when i tried to quote

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submit ourselves to THE LIVING GOD with all mind body and soul

I still don't see it that way because I myself do not eat at any fast foods here in America--I love cooking my own food at home. But when I am in Jamaica I will go to the burger king and Kentucky fried and while I stand in line at the kentucky fried in Jamaica there are masses of Jamaican that stand on line infront of me.

There are plenty of other foods to eat in Jamaica and in American besides going to fast food restaurants....you can always go home and cook and eat healthy meals everyday.

Where I live at there are grocery stores that sell organic foods which are very healty for you and we also have health food stores that carry lots of things for your consumption. So, yes, that is what I am saying: We do have a choice of what we can eat everyday.

I never said that Black people own America that will never happen but what I was saying is that we need to be an independent race of people opening up our own, black own stores, be it grocery stores, restaturants, shoes stores, clothing stores etc etc. starting with taking up one block two blocks and on and on until you have a chain going.

There are many ways that you can find out your ancestry and that is through a lot of reasearch. I know my family has....there is even book out of my family on ebay....so I know where my ancestors come from through alot of research that was done on that book.

And never forget that there were a lot of strong black american women during slavery time that fought for the rights of other slaves and no one could tear down their strength nor their pride when paving the way for others.

When I look in the mirrior...I see a strong black woman a child of God with much pride and dignity a woman who have withstood the storms of life a woman who had been knocked down but got back up brushed herself and kept on going---a woman who raise 4 children and 5 grandchildren on her own......and you honestly think I am going to let some whiteman tear me down and strip me of my dignity it will never happen and alot of black slaves fought back too, and maybe they were hung for standing up for their rights but they died with dignity, men and women..... Black people need to stop blaming the whiteman for everything...

This is a brand new day and black people need to start doing for themselves...the doors have been open by the white man here in American and black people need to start taking advantage of this by first: stop dropping out of school...education is free and having an education is what opens the door to freedom and independence, and a successful future allowing you to have the things that you want in life, and especially owning a black business of your own.