ÐÓ°ÉÐÔ°É

So, some women's groups were up in arms this week over statements made by Pastor Glen Samuels while speaking about some of people's misplaced priorities in this country.

Speaking at the National Leadership Prayer Breakfast recently, Pastor Samuels said it was silly for some women to be wearing a $5,000 hairstyle on a $5 head. In Jamaica today, there are fewer greater truths, yet several women's groups have taken the goodly pastor to task.

Judith Wedderburn of the women's advocacy group, 51% Coalition, for example, said she was offended by the

pastor's remarks. Really? That is what offends her? Then suppose he had spoken about those women who can 'afford' $15,000 outfits to attend weekly dances and their kids can't find lunch money, or those who take PATH money to pay their hairdressers?

EASILY OFFENDED

I agree we live in a society that denigrates women in many of the things we sing, say and do, but those statements by Pastor Samuels were not among them. As I have been saying for years, we have everything upside down in this country, and when people call us out on the nonsensical things we do, we hastily take offence.

There are many other issues that these advocacy groups can take on. but when someone speaks truth, take it for what it is and do something about it. They should be using the pastor's statements as a platform to start reaching out to these women who have no sense of what is important. They should be encouraging them to go seek a skill or trade to empower themselves.

Learning for Life is one such initiative where young ladies from inner-city communities can learn skills that can eventually help them break the cycle of poverty they would be forever trapped in because of the poor decisions they might make.

They can also encourage the young women to have pride in themselves and not throw themselves at men who only want to use them and abandon them, often with a baby in their bellies. I have seen many young women with hordes of kids at their feet, but who always seem to be able to find time to be at every dance, every party, every Sting, oftentimes leaving the children behind with matches and candles to burn the place down.

How many times do we need to see the tragic stories on the news, the ones where a mother leaves a two or three-year-old locked inside a wooden shack while she is out partying? That is the act of a woman with a $5,000 hairstyle on a $5 head.

SILLY PEOPLE

The only thing that Pastor Samuels needed to add is a statement about the men in $10,000 Clarks and $1 hands because they, too, are as silly as the women. The vicious cycle of poverty can only be broken if people make the right decisions. I know it's not easy, but it can be done. The problem is that not many of us are willing to make the sacrifices necessary to break the cycle. If some of these women would go less for hype and more for substance, maybe they could afford themselves a rare opportunity to get a job, save some money, move out of the inner city, attend school, learn a skill, get a better job, send their kids to better schools and eventually rise and shine.

Instead, they choose for their hair to shine, while their heads remain empty. Pastor Samuels was on point. Unfortunately, some of women's groups just don't get it.

Send comments to levyl1@hotmail.com.