(CMR) Reggae artiste, Tanya Stephens, on Monday sought to clarify comments she made about shelter-in-place rhetoric the Jamaican government has stressed as means of curbing the spread of the deadly coronavirus.
The “It’s a pity” hit-maker came under fire on social media after a lengthy expletive lace video surfaced online in which she is heard criticizing the government's stay-at-home rhetoric.
Stephens criticized the government’s message which urges citizens in Jamaican parlance to ‘tan a yuh yard’, saying that the advice was not sensitive to the plight of those in the poorer inner-city communities.
“How you gon’ come tell me seh me fi stay inna my house, when me see you out a [expletive deleted] road everyday, a drive past me inna big vehicle, with your ac on; go suck yu….” said the artiste in her now-controversial video.
Stephens clarified that her video was not directed at any one person, as some have slammed the artiste for criticizing the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) administration, asserting that the artiste’s comments were intended to insult the Prime Minister.
She further noted that those trashing her online-only saw a clip of the video which skewed her actual message.
“My point nah go change enuh, because my point probably doesn’t affect any of you who are talking -but the people dem wah it affect know what I’m saying,” said Stephens.
“Unno now wah inna the middle- weh people use unno as clickbait fi go viral – cause a suh unno head hot, so as soon as somebody seh something unno rile up, unno run in, and unno just click – unno a some clicker – unno a wah remote? most of unno don’t even see the video wah mi a talk inna yuh know? ” chided a clearly annoyed Stephens.
According to Stephens, stay-at-home measures are not going to solve the problem, as there are other factors that should have been considered prior, particularly for those in poorer communities.
She further noted that the message, presuppose that all Jamaicans have a home (yard).
“Stop tell people fi ‘tan a dem yard' and don’t know wah deh a dem yard, because telling people to ‘tan a dem yard' nah go solve the problem, telling people to tan a dem yard when you don’t even know if them have a yard fi go to, it takes a lot more to happen before you insist on ‘tan a yuh yard',” said Stephens.
Stephens also noted that the response to her video is indicative of the work that needs to be done as it relates to educating the nation’s people.
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