Dear Editor,

With just a little over one year until a general election is constitutionally due, I can’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of frustration and sadness about the state of our democracy. How did we reach the point at which so many of us have become indifferent to something as crucial as voting?

I understand — disillusionment runs deep. We’ve been burned by politicians who make empty promises, and it’s easy to feel like our votes are just drops in an ocean of indifference. But that way of thinking is the poison that’s killing our democracy. When we choose not to vote, we’re not just stepping aside, we’re handing over the keys to our future to people who may not care about us at all. We’re forfeiting our voice in how this country is run, and that’s not just dangerous — it’s heartbreaking.

By staying home on election day, we’re letting others — often those with selfish, narrow interests — decide the direction of our nation. When good people do nothing, those with darker intentions get to chart our course. This doesn’t just diminish the power of the majority, it threatens the very principles we hold dear. As Edmund Burke famously said, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

And let’s be honest — politicians are going to listen to the people who showed up for them. If only those with narrow, self-serving agendas vote, guess whose interests will be prioritised? Imagine a scenario in which someone with a specific interest, like a person who prioritises having more bars in their community, turns out to vote. The politician they support might feel pressured to cater to that interest. But what if the rest of us — those who want better schools, safer streets, and more opportunities for our youth — don’t show up? Our concerns will be sidelined or ignored completely.

Every single vote matters. History has proven this time and again. Remember the 2016 local government elections when the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) won the Rae Town division by just one vote. One vote. That’s all it took to decide the future of an entire community. Former Prime Minister Bruce Golding was right when he said, “The right to vote is a powerful instrument; use it wisely.” Each ballot has the potential to shape the future of our country.

But this isn’t just about you or me, it’s about all of us. It’s about the Jamaica we want to build together. Our national heroes — Alexander Bustamante, Paul Bogle, George William Gordon, Norman Manley—these aren’t just names in a history book. These are the people who fought, bled, and died for the rights we take for granted today. They fought for our freedom, our right to be heard. And here we are, dishonouring their legacy by not showing up when it counts the most. It’s like we’re turning our backs on everything they stood for.

Yes, we need to make voting easier. But more importantly, we need to make it count. We need to demand more from our leaders, from our system, and from ourselves. Because if we don’t, nothing will change. We’ll keep getting the same old, same old, and the only people we’ll have to blame are ourselves.

So I’m pleading with you, my fellow Jamaicans: Don’t sit this one out. Don’t let others decide your future. Don’t let the sacrifices of our ancestors be in vain. Get out there, vote, and make your voices heard. As Bob Marley sang, “Get up, stand up, stand up for your rights!” Let’s show the world — and ourselves — that we still believe in the power of our democracy.

Tahjai McNeill

tahjaimcneil@yahoo.com