EDITORIAL: Quick thoughts on Buju Banton ordeal

The reactions to the Buju Banton (born Mark Anthony Myrie) ordeal by Jamaicans vary. What amazes me are the Jamaicans that are almost devastated, if not torn up not because the reggae superastar was in fact found guilty on cocaine charges.
Now tell me Jamaicans, we as a people love to play pranks. Yes we do, and maybe I can be faulted for somehow not understanding what was said in English by all parties.
However how many of us will actually play a prank all thew way in Spain ABOUT COKE, and months later still continue in another country like the all- good USA, where the great American dream is never promised to be realised for us Jamaicans.

I wonder if in lending sympathy to Buju Banton during his ordeal, these points were among those considered by the passionate Jamaicans towards the ‘Jamaican brother’
That he was before often accused of being a ‘cokehead’ – why would he not run like thread from these new temptations
That he claimed to have been pretending TO BE A DRUG DEALER to land a contract, Yet he managed to land a grammy while in jail– consider how powerful he already was
That he, as mighty as he is and beloved among his Jamaican family, saw the NEED or as an ACT of kindness, God forbid to be lured by still a total stranger to have lunch, on that stranger, then go test drugs – tell me how much this food was worth financially and otherwise that he needed a stranger to take him
That he really was promoted as under surveillance, pressure for his hit “Boom Bye Bye” against homosexual communities is also enough for him to have considered his steps, at least in my opinion
That he claimed to have gone to test if was real coke – how would he know being innocent
That after all Buju is no longer young and looking forward to sweet 16 with the halo of parents to protect him
That his lyrics, conscious and thought provoking were to have been originating from him – well now we may wonder

I wonder, considering our culture, and history as a largley negro race from the start of slavery — you know white man comes and tricks black man to sell out a brother or did he? TEll me, is this a stroke of coincidence or culture that white, black or multicoloured stranger is allowed to again trick a brother of negro descent. Now I aint claiming goody good and naive, nor too strong to be made weak, but think about just the basics — free from video and all.
Would you have done what he did?

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