St. Lucian Writes Petition To Have Vybz Kartel Ban Revoke

WE WANT KARTEL! was created and written by Tahaia

The youth of Saint Lucia do not support the decision to ban performer Adidja Palmer a.k.a Vybz Kartel from performing in Saint Lucia on the weekend of May 1, 2010. We propose a compromise- establish a minimum age requirement for attendance at the show, or stipulate which songs can/cannot be performed by the artiste- or a combination of both.

The argument that the artiste may be responsible for a rise in crime/ lewd activities needs to be thrown out because individuals are responsible for their own actions- furthermore, if this is the stance then we will need to ban alot more people from our society- including our very own citizens! The artiste's music is played on the airwaves, in our homes, vehicles, clubs, and neighbourhoods, but it is ultimately up to us whether we choose to listen or play the music- AND IT SHOULD BE LEFT UP TO US TO DECIDE IF WE WANT TO ATTEND THE SHOW OR NOT!! Do not shove it down our throats and say that it is what's best for us! Parents need to take more responsibility for their children.

If they did, then the argument that Vybz Kartel will corrupt the youth would be dead! Those of us who choose to listen to his music have made a conscious decision to do so- and we should not be punished or UNNECESSARILY FRUSTRATED! Music is an important and positive outlet for the majority of the youth, and we need to remind our leaders of that.

Live performances are opportunities for us to gather and celebrate our popular culture- a culture which will not disappear despite such efforts to stifle it. What may result however, from the combined frustation of people who have been waiting for years to attend a Vybz Kartel performance, is a distrust in policy makers and general negative attitudes to authorities in society.

THERE IS SO MUCH TALK OF NURTURING THE YOUTH AND PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEM, AND SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS A STAGE SHOW PERFORMANCE IS BEING DENIED!!! Apparently the decision makers are not familiar with the Dancehall Culture and are not aware of the significant following that Vybz Kartel has drawn with his clever lyrics and catchy tunes. He has created an 'empire' and has provided opportunities for many budding artistes, giving them access to the international market. Youth who would have been otherwise idle have benefitted from the entrepreneuring and philanthropic spirit of Mr. Palmer.

We request that the decision makers give us an ear, and make a decision based on the reality of the youth- and not the fleeting, and largely hypocritical ideals of societal institutions or organizations whose members engage in activities that are far more detrimental to society's moral fabric than attending a concert and gyrating to one's heart's content.

SOURCE: http://www.myonlinepetition.com/petition/323/WE%20WANT%20KARTEL!/www.myonlinepetition.com/petition/323/WE+WANT+KARTEL%21/