LETTER OF THE DAY - Go after gangs, goons and garrisons
Published:Monday | June 7, 2010 | 12:00 AM
THE EDITOR, Sir:
Dear Prime Minister Golding, you can and should turn this catastrophic situation in Jamaica into your finest hour. This could be the beginning of the end of the dark days that Jamaica has been going through. Now you have the opportunity to rid our beautiful island of crime and corruption. You can once again make Jamaica the pearl of the Caribbean, where millions of us in the diaspora want to come back and make it our home once again, to live in a land where no one is above the law.
You have nothing to lose now, because the allegiance to the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) garrison is now shattered. Recent events show that the People's National Party garrisons are willing to join with JLP garrisons where their true allegiance lie - not with any political party, which they use as pawns. The security forces have proven that they are willing and able to do their job if their hands are not tied by politicians.
Terrorised for too long
Gangs and goons in Jamaica seem able to give politicians marching orders. It started the other way around, but the tail is now wagging the dog. For too long, decent law-abiding citizens at home and abroad, have been intimidated and terrorised by criminal elements in Jamaica. Too many of us know someone who has been robbed or killed. Crimes happen in every country, but many of the crimes in Jamaica go unpunished because police dare not go into some areas to investigate, and citizens dare not give information to the police for fear of their lives. We are embarrassed and ashamed to hear Jamaica being referred to as one of the murder capitals of the world. Compare these murder statistics: last year's murder rate in Jamaica was 62 per 100,000 people. In Barbados, our sister island, the murder rate was seven per 100,000; in Trinidad, it was 38 murders per 100,000; in New York City, it was 28 per 100,000.
Jamaica could once again be the prosperous, peace-loving country it once was, endowed with the best natural beauty (tourist product) in the world, the best coffee in the world, a deposit of bauxite (aluminium) ore that is the best in the world. A Jamaica which gives us world class icons like Bob Marley, Marcus Garvey, Mary Seacole, Usain Bolt, Claude McKay, Herb McKenley, Arthur Wint, to mention only a few. This is the Jamaica we are all so proud of.
Mr Prime Minister, the ball is in your court. The only sensible move you can make is to give back Jamaica to the people of Jamaica. Give the security forces the power and the mandate to bring all criminals to justice, without fear, without favour, without concern for party allegiance, but with courtesy and fairness to all. If you succeed in this endeavour, generations yet unborn will call you blessed.
I am, etc.,
Wilberforce Reid
New York