Friday, January 13, 2006

Equity and Equality

I'm seeing the message played out in front of my eyes. A few weeks ago our pastor at church tried to give the differences between equity and equality. His theme based on the fact that you can be equal without being equitable and vice versa. I couldn't qute figure it out then but then he gave an example but let me set a stage first.......... Our church is in one of the most affluent areas in Kingston. It is surrounded by financial wealth. All the neighbourhoods are predominantly residential and at the high end of it as well. Let me say now that I don't live in any of these areas :) (before anybody gets any ideas). I work in the downtown area. This is an area noted for poverty and some really crass residences and residents. Let's say that there are no apartments and townhouses down here. As a matter of fact you will find more squatters and tenament yards here than anywhere else. Now Port Royal Street, Harbour Street and its environs and all the way westwards to Marcus Garvey Drive were badly damaged by the onslaught of rains over the last few months. Parts of these major thoroughfares were reduced to riverbed type passageways. But as i said they are the only ways through downtown. Now Norbrook Road is a typical residential roadway and used in comparison to these others only by a handful of people. It too was damaged but I drove there shortly after the rains and it was passable not perfect but it could use with some swerving here and there. Pastor told us that by January he would safely bet that Norbrook Road would be fixed but that the others would remain until whenever. Well it is January and guess what...Norbrook Road was fixed from the week after he spoke so that puts it at mid November. Well Marcus Garvey Drive was repaired a couple of weeks ago and Port Royal Street is still to be fixed. The situation is equal......both will be fixed. Not equitable because it has come down to a case of money talking. The roads that provide service to the greater population and the greater need of our nation has again succumed to the injustice in society. Why?....because it's not in an area populated by the well to do.......... :( Sets you think............. Tomorrow maybe I'll take on politics...heheheh. Later all

4 comments:

Mad Bull said...

So you are going to help that fassey gov't try to get back in... (* shakes head *) What has poor KG got herself into...
Don't worry, I won't hold it against you, cuz you're just paying the bills... plus, what does the other party have to offer but yet another set of fasseys

Camille said...

Donkey seh worl' nuh level. *sigh*

Abeni said...

That's how it goes.The movers and shakers got more influence and so get taken care of quicker than the masses.Money talks

Unknown said...

Everybody Churchy! This is the 3rd blog I've read in a row with some reference to church. You are right about the way the government fixes the roads. The affluent areas always get fixed first, then the major thoroughfares and the "ghetto" areas when election time comes.