Voting shouldn’t merely be a ritual
Published:Monday | August 25, 2025 | 12:07 AM
THE EDITOR, Madam:
There are daily battles that are faced by many people in Jamaica. When survival is the priority, critical thinking about governance and policy can feel like a luxury.
But the very issues that keep people too busy to think critically are the ones most shaped by the decisions made at the ballot box.
If we accept that economic hardship limits civic engagement, then we risk normalising a cycle where the most vulnerable remain unheard, and their conditions unchanged. Apathy isn’t just a lack of interest; it’s often a symptom of disillusionment. People vote when they believe their voice matters. They abstain when they feel the system is rigged, indifferent, or inaccessible.
It may be “how it generally is” in democracies worldwide but that doesn’t mean we should accept it as inevitable. Jamaica’s independence was born from the belief that our people deserve self-determination. That belief must extend to economic justice, political accountability, and civic empowerment.
Let’s encourage conversations that connect the dots: how inflation, job creation, education, and healthcare are not just policy debates they’re personal. Let’s make voting feel less like a ritual and more like a right with real consequences.
PATRICK BROWN
Pembroke Pines, Florida