Bob Marley brought heros together on one historic occasion and his music is the foundation of the Jamaican music culture.Bob Marley is an international icon who single handedly put Jamaica on the map,the world regognizes him as a hero and so should Jamaica!!!

I THINK HE DESERVE TO BE A NATIONAL HERO, BECAUSE EVEN IF HE IS NOT GIVEN THE TITLE BY THE JAMAICA GOVERNMENT HE WILL ALWAYS BE A HERO TO THE PEOPLE OF JAMAICA AND TO ME I THINK HE FITS THE REQUIREMENT. HE MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN IN A PHYSICAL WAR BUT HE FIGHTS THROUGHT THE POWER OF WORDS WITH HIS MUSIC WHEN U HERE A BOB MARLEY SONG U HAVE TO STOP AND LISTEN BECAUSE OF THE QUALITY. YES I KNOW THAT HE IS NOT MARCUS GARVEY BUT HE DID HIS FIGHTING THROUGH HIS MUSIC AND THAT SHOULD COUNT FOR SOMETHING. RESPECT AND LOVE TO THE ONE AND ONLY BOB MARLEY A TRUE DEFINITION OF WHAT A HERO SHOULD BE.

I believe he should be recognized for his great vision and his works. Differently he should me made a hero..

I am not one to usually respond to the articles I read on Yardflex, but I felt compelled to voice my opinion on this particular article. I found it to be vague and superficial, and frankly, felt like the author was out of line in declaration of her unsupported opinion.
Whether Bob Marley should be made a national hero is a topic that is debatable and has been for years.
The tone of the article severely discounts his contributions and refers to him opening up “social doors,” indicating to me, that the author is among the misguided population, who misinterpret the messages of the esteemed artist, as an excuse to engage in “abuse” of marijuana.
The author further cites the rather juvenile idea that inducting Bob Marley as a National Hero could possibly trigger a trend that would devalue the heroic status itself. Did she proofread her article? Is her editor asleep? Firstly, I think she may have confused the Great and Honorable Robert Nesta Marley with one of the Vybz Kartels or Tony Mattherhorns of today’s popular reggae music. Secondly, we should only be so lucky that the number of contenders for hero status should increase; indicating that more of our citizens are acting in the positive social and political interest of our country, warranting recognition for their actions. Thirdly, I am not trying to discount the author’s opinion, just appealing for a more thorough examination of the topic, possibly producing a better informed opinion.
Let us not delude ourselves into thinking that a decision to award National Heroic status is anything but political in nature. Bob Marley left behind him, more than a few verses of songs for us to recite Ms. Wilson. He left a legacy of hope and empowerment for us as a people. I feel like I could write a dissertation on this, so before I go any further…The bottom line is that whether or not Bob Marley is “declared” a National Hero is of no consequence… because in the eyes of the National and International community, he already is!

“Get up, stand up, stand up for your rights. Get up stand up, don’t give up the fight!” Robert Nesta Marley

Please keep this in mind, outside of Jesus there is only one man celebrated around the world-Bob Marley.
Bob has done more for Jamaica than Jamaica can do for him.
In his lifetime he has taken an unpopular "ghetto" music and made it the music of the century.
25 years after his pasting he continues to make inroads for Jamaica, Raggae and other artist.

Should he be recognized with the status as National Hero, without queston.

i believe that he should be made a national hero because his music and message has helped to uplift people of all class and creed. he made the rastafarian faith more accepted in society and he wasnt afraid to speak up for his right and the rights of others.

Bob Marley is already an international hero. We can't really depend on the government (plantation) of Jamaica to award Bob Marley the order of National Hero, wasn't he all most shot to death when he tried to bring peace to JA,by asking Edward Seaga and Micheal Manley to stop the cause of war, violence, killings in JA during election time. i don't really like the tone of the author of this piece, really need to do more research on the great Bob Marley.

Reggae icon, definitely yes. National hero, I don't think so. I am grateful that he was able to contribute to Jamaica's popularity through his music. Yes, He uplifted people of all class and creed, but we need to remember that he was also a man of poor moral family values. Bogle, Sharpe, Bustamante, Garvey, Gordon, Manley and Nanny did more for Jamaica than what reggae music could ever do. If we give the title of National hero to Mr Manley, why not give to every individual who has contributed to Jamaica's popularity, such as Asafa Powel. Give me a break.

First of all mi woulda like to say big up & nuff respect to all de ppl dem who commented saying dat Bob Marley should be declared a national hero. I agree with them & like many have said whether or not he'z declared a national hero, he iz still a hero universally 4rm Ja all da way 2 Ethiopia....worldwide. Thru his musik & his life he has left behind a great legacy including da spread of reggae [ragga] musik & kulcha. RIP Honorable Robert Nesta Marley..ride natty ride..ah mi seh go deh dready go deh!... :D..1love 1heart letz get 2gtha & feel IRIE..JAH BLESS...JAH LIVE! Long live Hon. Robert Nesta Marley & his legacy..

IDIOT QUSESTION DAT OF COURSE THE LEGEND SHOULD HAVE HERO STATUS LONG TIME AGO RESPECT TO ALL MY RASTA PEOPLE.

No that mess up wat r you telling me ever little person that comes along and do some for the country is going to get a holiday. Yes thank to him Jamiaca gain a lot of reconition but i don't a national holiday is required- Jamaica aready have enough reason to celebrate

Wha kinda question dat? OF COURSE. He is already a hero in mine and others eyes. I have the petition in my MySpace blog. A long time Jamaica fi recognize. It's Bob why so many people even know bout Jamaica. Peter Tosh to...but, one hero at a time!

firstly..Marlan wake up put down that coke pipe and smarten up
i really would need to know what is the reason why he was not made a National Hero long before, what did he do wrong?. for me its too late. the governing men should name an airport, or a highway, is there a school in this man's honour with his name. i dont think so. keep it you hypocrites. he is the people's hero.
most of those governing men have hidden youths and smoke dem spliff i guess they jus done inhale.
unu saff

dont know what wrong family value mean Courtney and by the way we are debating on Mr MARLEY not Mr. Manley ---you a** hole

Robert Nesta Marley ah hero ah d people dem...nuh matta sey it official or not him always ah guh dey inna jamaican an world history still. Happy Birthday Bob! Jah jah live!!!

YES YES YES , DID I SAY YES

ABSOLUTELY BOB SHOULD BE MADE A NATIONAL HERO FOR HIS STRUGGLES AND BRINGING HIS CONCERNS TO THE FOREFRONT IN MUSIC! I GREW UP ON BOB MARLEY & HE HAS SHAPED ME INTO THE PERSON I AM TODAY & WITHOUT HIM I PERSONALLY THINK THERE WOULD BE A WHOLE DIFFERENT WORLD THAN THERE IS TODAY! HE WAS AND IS A VISIONARY JUST AS MUCH NOW AS HE WAS WHEN HE WAS ALIVE TO TEACH THE NEW GENERATOINS ABOUT LIFE.

thank god Bob is not around now he would cry to see how .There is no jamaican artiste who has tried to take up the mantle of Bob.His life would be in danger.

It is my opinion that jamaicans no longer deserve the right to claim Bob Marley as their own.Bob Marley considered the struggling people of the world as his brothers and sisters.Jamaicans have forgotten what he was really about ,he was not just about his music to him his music was just a tool to allow him to send his message to the world.How many of you listen really listen to the lyrics of his songs and try to take to heart some of what he was saying .Very few jamaican artistes seem to care about emulating his philosophy.

THAT SHOULD NOT EVEN BEEN A QUESTION. OF COURSE, THE MAN DESERVE IT. STOP HATING. WHAT HAVE U DONE FOR JAMAICA. WRITE A BUNCH OF GARBAGE EVERY WEEK. YOU DONT THINK SO.. GO JUMP OFF A BRIDGE.

there is no question about Bob Mama lou should be honoured as Hero and Heroin both have played important roles in the development of political and social life in Jamaica

To the Author:
This is what you wrote, "These heroes challenged and conquered the institutions of colonialism thereby changing the course of Jamaica's history from slavery to emancipation".

What did Bob stated in reference to emancipation?
Free yourself from mental slavery.
People in Jamaica has been oppressed by the physical (slavery)...In this time it is mental slavery...They should check themselves for the mental oppression to which they restrain themselves...Bound, gaged, and handcuffed.
Bob took things to a higher level.
After the war and rebellion is over which these designated national heroes challenged and conquered...too many people are left with the issues that face them which tear down the infrastructure to unite us in order to survive.
These are the effects causing the gang wars, political wars, status wars, and other wars in Jamaica.
When the war is over and the dust is settled, the infrastructure must be design, develop, and implement to secure the future.
This is what Bob is saying in his songs...The pen is mightier than the sword.
Bob should be recognized as a Hero.

bob marley,, a real role model fi di yutes dem,, free di slaves dem,, n lou di herbs,, n do more important things!!

@Courtney
what is wrong with u courtney? First of all let me ask you what do you know about Manley, Bogle, Nanny, Bustamante, Gordon, Sharpe or any of our heros' family values and personal lives...do you even know if any of these heros had similiar livestyles to Bob Marley's?

Are you aware of ANY 'perfect people' in earth

Bob Marley was open with his values and life!!

How many hide their many relationships...and i am assuming this is what you are referring to...

The very real culture of polygamy needs to come out of the closet and Bob is a hero for doing that too...my yute...trust me...

honesty is the best policy and he neva told lies in his values arena...he brought forth his youths and own them too (that is as far as we can see)...so just get a life

Have u any idea what the modern blacks needed and got - because of Bob?

We hated ourselves - our hair our features our ethnicity...and even after Ms Lou and Ranny, we still would be told "Speak properly," if we utter the Jamaican vernacular

now i feel free to be natural and free to love my heritage and culture and be proud of everythin g to do with it...it is now style and fashion to the world!!!! because of bob breaking down barriers

Because of bob people stop laughing at Jamaican immigrants and treating them inferior...because of Bob's popularity we all moved up a coupel notches on the respect ladder

Yow - courtney...do you remember the times when country and western played more on jamaican radio than our ethnic stuff???

Aw come on courtney...get a grip...you are loosing sight of reality!!

the problemn with people though is many of us have been taught to 'gutterise' anything we cannot comprehend...just ease off of Bob Marley family values...that is not an argument that you can defend...because i doubt that u were involved in his family...so what do you know??????????????????????????????

as for joan wilson...she doesn't have a clue...there isn't enough space on this blog to discuss this issue for real!!! but i know that all those over 4o years old reading this understand very clearly why bob marley is a hero
he saved lives from sinking into depression and oppression TRUST ME!!!

yardflex...can u get one of your more seasoned writers to address exactly how bob marley is a hero please please please

i can't believe this writer
she has to be some young punk

joan mi dear go read some more history or beg somebody fe talk to you

do u know of a time when rasta children could not attend schools with their natural hair styles?

do you know of a time when police was trimming dreads?

do you know of a time when selassie was on the most wanted list at police stations?

what do you know joan?

is it the ganja that u are referring to as immoral? did u know that it has medicinal purposes and at least one G8 country in the world allows its citizens to consume medical marijuana?

do you know of the personal habits of any of the world's heros? I DOUBT IF YOU DO...They could have all had unseen 'issues'

BUT BOB WAS OPEN AND FOR REAL AND A GREAT INFLUENCE ON MANY LIVES
A POSITIVE INFLUENCE MY DEAR A POSITIVE ONE

without bob, ja would just be another tropical island in the carribean. yuh cyaan separate the two. national hero for sure. the weed is just a bonus.

Why am I not surprised that the poor people's hero is deemed 'unworthy' of heroic status. I'm willing to bet he wouldn't face such a struggle if he was other than Rastafari.

If there was a referendum in Jamaica, I'm willing to bet the voice of the people would be clear. In my opinion, Bob Marley is much more a hero to the youth in Tivoli, Arnett Gardens, Cassava Piece, etc. than say a Bustamante.

Wa gwan yardflex, mi strait up Zimbabwean and mi se you caan even ask dat question you know. Mi caan undestand why uno take so long fo give di man him due respect. If you caan declare him one please exhume him body and bring it to Zimbabwe and we got vote fi di man be declared a hero.

Those saying Marley should be made a national hero don't know what a national hero is. A national hero is someone who devotes a great deal of effort, often at great personal sacrifice for the advancement of one's nation. Such persons spend a great deal of their careers in the public sphere, rallying the masses for political changes that benefit all. Bob Marley doesn't fit the bill. He was a private citizen pursuing his own personal goals. A musician who made songs that captivated a world audience. If he should be made a national hero for being a pop icon, should the US not also consider Elvis Presley to be national hero as well?

Tashiba,

I waan seh bigup urself empress! Dat was a well written and educated statement you made regarding this topic. I totally agree with Mr. Marley being recongized as a national hero. His impact to the social and polictical areana in Jamacia makes him a well deserved candidate. Did system (governmment) should do di right ting and mek it offical.

Bob Marley should is already a national hero,he has changed the world!!Apart from Marcus Garvey none of our national hero's has made an impact on the world like bob Marley has.

AS for some of our national hero's what exactly did they do to become hero's? Nanny was a vicious killer of her oppressors,what did William Gordon do to become a national hero(be hanged),although he may not be one of the chosen 7 hero's of Jamaica he is a hero in the eyes of the world!1

PJ,Portia,Golding,Manley,Seaga.
NONEEE NOT ONE of these people can say they did as much for Jamaica as BOB MArley did....if you go anywhere in the world about Jamaica the 1st thing they say is YEAH man ....BOB MARLEY MON. WE BE JAMMING. stuff like.....

1976: Band of the Year (Rolling Stone)
June 1978: Awarded the Peace Medal of the Third World from the United Nations
February 1981: Awarded Jamaica's third highest honor, the Jamaican Order of Merit
March 1994: Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
1999: Album of the Century for Exodus (Time Magazine)
February 2001: A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
February 2001: Awarded Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
2004: Rolling Stone Magazine ranked him #11 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.[9]
"One Love" named song of the millennium by The BBC
Voted as one of the greatest lyricists of all time by a BBC poll.[10]
2007 A plaque dedicated to him by Nubian Jak community trust and supported by Her Majesties Foreign Office.

album of the damn century by time magazine.....CENTURY...unnuh fi know dat....BBC gave ONE love song of the damn millenium.....no other artist can accomplish what he has....no elvis no michael jackson nobady

The whole world sees him as a hero, why shouldnt Jamaica do the same?

'Courtney' you are siiiiiiiiiiiiiick, or perhaps u have richer family moral values than him SUCKER......

you cant even spell 'Marley' right.

I think this article is nothing more than a conversation piece. Playing devil's advocate to stir peoples' blood. Even though she did not think Bob Marley should be honoured as a National Hero she acknowledged and echoed the same sentiments about him as most of you have stated. I think where the author is mistaken is that she do not think that physical activiism and spiritual activisism should carry the same weight. Paul bogle and george William Gordon gave their lives to affect change but the spitit of Marley's music gives Jamaica and it's people an identity. The author need to ask herself why The Jamaica Tourist Board always use Bob marley's music to tell tourist to come to Jamaica. Do it have anything to do with his international appeal? I wonder how much effect the legacy of the music have the Jamaican economy?

I agree that people like Bogle and Gordon

IT'S MORE THAN SURPRISING THAT SOME JAMAICANS CAN BE SO BLIND TO SEE!!!!
AFRICA IS PROUD OF BOB AND SHALL ALWAYS BE. HIS MUSIC INFLUENCED THE STRUGGLE FOR INDEPENENCE IN COUNTRIES ALL OVER THIS CONTINENT. PEOPLE LIKE LUCKY DUBE (RIP) OF SOUTH AFRICA BORROWED A LEAF FROM HIM TO FIGHT APETHIED.
I WISH I HAD BETTER WORDS TO EXPRESS MY RAGE. PLIZ WAKE UP AND SEE. THE MAN IS A GLOBAL HERO HOW DARE YOU HIS OWN SHOW SUCH LITTLE APPRECIATION. "GOD REST YOUR SOUL ROBERT NESTA"

IN MY COUNTRY (UGANDA) WE CELEBRATE BOB MARLEY'S LIFE FOR TWO WEEKS EVERY YEAR

To add to Reasonings comment please remember that....The astronauts used Bob Marley's music when they did some experiments on the moon a few years ago..
what is the problem with us when will we acknowledge the work of our brother Bob
Winnie Mandela in her book mentions that the freedom fighters listened to Bob Marley for courage and strength and they had to hide the cds from the South African police
what more do they want from this man...

Without Bob Marley Jamaica wouldn't be sh*t! A Bob Marley mek Jamaica famous. All dem who a fight against Bob Marley being a National Hero is because Bob Marley a BL**DCL**T RASTA! The whole world knows about Jamaica only because of Bob Marley. Fire bun all de Anti-Rasta dem! Drop dead!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

now we're talking!!!

i can't believe someone thinks Bob can be likened to Elvis...give me a break

Marley music was liberating music

talk up Zimbabwe...talk up my brethren and sistren
BLESS!!!!!!!!!!!

well said iyah,i agree,i love and respect is work but the hero thing nooo

Greetings. Bob Marley is A International Hero. I should know more than most. Because of my music I travel all over the world. And I hear what people think about Bob Marley. We dont care what A few think. or what politicians think. We done know what the majority think. And Bob top the chart every time. only one Bob Marley the peoples Hero. mi done talk.Dennis Alcapone

so i guess you guuuuuuys would prefer the next hero to be Louise Bennet or Michael Manley.
dont get me wrong i love Ms Lou and Michael Manley (Joshua)
But can someone please remind me of what those two have done more than Bob Marley for the island of Jamiaca??

Hi Big Up to all Jamaicans all over the globe today and nuff love, having read the commentaries and the very first article that led to these commentaries; I have to first ask myself if persons understand and know the criteria of the Order of National Hero,that is awarded here in Jamaica. I am therefore recommending that persons research before making comments. It is no doubt that the music of the late reggae icon - Bob Marley open doors across the world to the acceptance of reggae music. We the people of Jamaica have duly shown our appreciation to him for such.But to the question of whether or not he be made a national hero, is no. Bob Marley music has liberated yes, the world has acknowledged his tremendous gift and accredition has been given. Additionally, Bob Marley did not open the eyes of the world to us, Jamaica was known long before and would've even had he not arrive on the scene. I love Bob Marley lyrics and there is no day that I dont listen to the. The topic of Bob Marley being a national hero is one that has been debatable for a long time and so is the topic of making the late Micheal Manley (former prime ministerof Jamaica) a national also. Jamaica currently have 6 national heroes and 1 heroine, any additional persons must fully meet the criteria that has been established.Let us a people - be Africa and unite, let those of us, who are avid fans of his, not only listen and recite the songs, but understand the messages and spread the messages thereof. The truth be told by reading the commentaries,its indeed obvious that some of us, have not yet emmancipated ourselves from the mental slavery there is. Bob Marley is loved and respected by every Jamaican, from Riverton to Cherry Gardens, rich, poor and the indifferent. As a nation we've shown that appreciation and the government has demonstrated such, with February being declared reggae month in his honour, stautes erected in his memory and he has also recieved oneof the highest national awards for his work.

Bob Marley is a legend and his song continues to live even long after his death.Owing to the fact that most of his lyrics emanate or have their basis from the scriptures,his lyrics are very inspiring.Bob has always made it clear that he is neither on the side of the blacks nor the whites.He stands by God.Sometimes i think Bob's concept of rastafarianism is totally different from what we perceive.Only God knows what his intention was.This may perhaps explain why he died so early.For me Bob is a national hero due to the fact that he has promoted Jamaica to a significant extent.