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First it was Vale Royal; is Devon House the next Jamaican heritage site to fall into disrepair? – Petchary’s Blog

It’s October again, and with it a focus on our cultural traditions and heritage – what’s left of it.

I am assuming that conservation is not a word commonly used in our current political administration’s vocabulary. I say this because there is no evidence to show that the “Powers That Be” have any interest in conserving – or maintaining – our cultural heritage, in terms of the built environment. And, indeed, as far as our natural environment is concerned; there are linkages, in terms of the approach to our natural and cultural heritage. It’s called negligence.

Folk dancing at the National Arena, lectures on our National Heroes, and reciting Louise Bennett doesn’t cost much – that’s the easy stuff. But (unlike many other countries, developed and developing) there is no interest in preserving historic buildings and sites. None. We would rather allow old buildings to collapse – for example in historic Falmouth and Port Royal – and then spend millions on brand new buildings that are obvious copies, for the tourists, at the cruise ship ports. We are not interested in the intrinsic value of “old things.” We prefer to “fake” them. Perhaps I am unusual, but whenever I visit a historic place abroad, I like to see the “real thing”!

I am sharing a blog post by cultural and art critic Veerle Poupeye (who used to steer the National Gallery of Jamaica with an expert hand). She starts with a description of the desperate, semi-derelict state of Vale Royal – a building that happens to be practically on my doorstep. I described it as “on life support” earlier this year and first pointed to its state of disrepair four years agoAlong with neighbours, we have been watching its steady decay for the past decade or so, with sinking hearts. We are all aware of the challenges of maintaining these buildings in a tropical climate. But, we don’t even try. I believe grants are available from overseas for restoration projects; have we applied for any?

It’s like having a family member in a hospice, fighting along and somehow coping – until something happens that precipitates a more rapid decline. In the case of Vale Royal, it was the sudden collapse of the front porch – a health crisis, if you will.

The eighteenth century Vale Royal is the “official” Prime Minister’s residence (and at times the Finance Minister’s residence) but has not been occupied for many years, since Edward Seaga demoted office in the 1980s. It is sometimes used for official functions – parties for visiting dignitaries, etc.

As I have noted previously in this blog, architectural plans, recommendations for its use, requests for meetings, and beseechings to save Vale Royal over the past few years have all been in vain. All efforts by citizens to engage with the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), which is responsible for this particular property – by email, letter, phone calls – have been brushed aside and/or directly rejected. The OPM posted a statement on its website in March, which seems to be making excuses for its years of neglect and was likely designed to keep the pesky complainers at bay; seven months later, we are awaiting word on the report from the Jamaica National Heritage Trust (JNHT) which is mentioned in the statement, with bated breath. Here’s more on that statement.

In her latest blog post, Veerle Poupeye moves on to Devon House in uptown Kingston, which aims to appeal to overseas visitors, but has always been a much-loved hangout for Jamaicans. On our last visit there, I had also noticed some disturbing signs, which reminded me of poor old Vale Royal – architectural details missing or in a bad state of repair. What’s happening (or rather, not happening) here?

A photograph from Veerle Poupeye’s blog of disrepair at Devon House. Warning signs?

Devon House has a completely different history; it is not the former home of a coloniser who was a strong advocate of slavery, as Vale Royal is. It is advertised as the home of Jamaica’s first black millionaire, and there is a new, shiny bust of him in what used to be a garden at the back of the house, now concretised and “touristified.” Again, maintenance is the issue. The house is showing signs of decay, inside and out. Is lack of funds the excuse here as it is for Vale Royal?

So, as Veerle Poupeye notes, buildings that black enslaved Africans laboured to create and build are no longer valued. Is all the ancestors’ sweat and blood in vain? If so, that is shameful. Or are we conveniently forgetting the uncomfortable complexities of Jamaica’s past?

Do we ever think about the unnamed ancestors who carved these lovely columns? More neglect at Devon House, posted on Veerle Poupeye’s website.

Do Jamaicans even think of these things? Or is this the lack of vision – a gross lack of imagination, perhaps – on the part of our Government, which I wrote about recently?

Please read and share Veerle Poupeye’s blog post, linked here. She has the knowledge and the expertise – and she asks some very pertinent questions regarding the resources our Government has (or has not) to maintain our cultural heritage. I am just adding my “two cents” here.

Thank you for reading! We can – we must – do better. Heritage Week is upon us!

One thing I am pretty sure of is that well-heeled colonial white masters did not dig these foundations, or carve the “gingerbread” mouldings that we so admired, but are now eaten by termites. Isn’t this disrespect?

Source: First it was Vale Royal; is Devon House the next Jamaican heritage site to fall into disrepair? – Petchary’s Blog

GEICO is Terminating Insurance Coverage of Tesla Cybertrucks, Says “This Type of Vehicle Doesn’t Meet Our Underwriting Guidelines” | Torque News

GEICO, the second-largest vehicle insurance underwriter in the US, has decided it will no longer cover Tesla Cybertrucks. The company is terminating current Cybertruck policies and says the truck “doesn’t meet our underwriting guidelines.”
— Read on www.torquenews.com/11826/geico-terminating-insurance-coverage-tesla-cybertrucks-says-type-vehicle-doesnt-meet-our

The American Hypocrisy about Life – CRAIN’S COMMENTS

Put in simplest form, there are five basic questions that most Americans don’t want to think about:

  1. Does a non-pregnant woman have a right to control if and when she becomes pregnant?
  2. Does a pregnant woman have a choice about giving birth?
  3. Does a child have a right to live once born?
  4. Does an adult have the right to live if they want to do so?
  5. Does an adult have the right to choose to die if they want to do so?

Decisions have consequences.

If you are committed to the doctrine that any viable fetus must be born, then you are committed to providing that child with food, education and healthcare through childhood and adulthood. Forcing the birth and then standing by while the child dies is insane. If you’re not prepared for the long term commitment, don’t force the birth.

Suicide remains a crime in most states. Why is that? By preventing voluntary suicide, we increase instances of “death by cop” or “death by car”. In the former, the person waves a gun in front of police until they shoot.(1) The later involves a head-on collision with a concrete barrier or, worse, with another car. In one study, 5.9% of all fatal accidents were classified as suicide after review by forensic psychologists.(2) Innocent lives are wrecked or lost because the individual was denied death through simpler means.

Elder death is more complicated:

  • Some states allow exceptions for the terminally ill.
  • Some states don’t allow those exceptions, but they do allow health insurance companies to deny life-preserving care to people who have reached a certain age, for example 75 for colorectal cancer.(3,4) That’s why screening for most diseases stops between the ages of 75 and 85 — the cost of treatment is deemed as exceeding the value of the years of life to be preserved.

In the latter case, the state is saying that you cannot take your own life but your insurer can condemn you to a protracted and painful death.

In the US, most estimates place the value of a year of life as between $100,000 and $200,000. Outside the US, the standard is to divide a country’s annual GDP by the population.(5) Even in the US, estimates of the value of a year of live have run as low as $10,000. Treatments for any Stage 2 or higher cancer will likely exceed that.(6)

The rules that past generations of “christian conservatives” created didn’t change human behavior. Instead it drove that behavior underground so they could pretend it didn’t exist. Or pass the blame for being the “bad guys” to the insurance industry.

Bottom line: There is no consistent policy or perspective on the value of life in the United States. If there were, most of the current political debate would not exist.

My position is that I care about practical outcomes, not ideology or religion. Those who are born should have to opportunity to achieve their best possible life. Whether they do so or not is up to them, but there should be no institutional barriers in the way.

My role as an insurance advisor is to help people live that best life given where they are when they come to me. At least I’m consistent, if much of the world around me is not.

Victor Crain
Independent Broker
Crain Insurance LLC
609-510-3712 / 702-505-1410             Schedule call
vic@craininsurancellc.com
www.craininsurancellc.com

Source: The American Hypocrisy about Life – CRAIN’S COMMENTS

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