Violence and Jamaica's future

THE EDITOR, Sir:

THE RECENT spasms of violence in our blest country of Jamaica are sad and regrettable. Jamaica is struggling for a better life for its entire people; to be economically self-sustaining; to attract foreign investments and tourism; to stop the mass exodus of its people from its shores: generally to make life, work and play more predictable and safe. But sadly, despite our best intentions and earnest desires for a brighter future, the plague of violence threatens to destroy many of our people.

The serious effects of violence on Jamaica came home to me just recently as I travelled throughout Barbados - on a tourism venture - and asked tourists from many different countries why were they not in Jamaica instead of being in Barbados. Invariably, the answer came back, "Jamaica is a nice place, but I'm scared of the violence there". One set of tourists even informed me that their travel agency had told them not to go to Jamaica because of the violence.

Local Barbadians also, as I discoursed with them, spoke fondly of Jamaica, but again, the ugly spectre of violence haunted them in not wanting to go to Jamaica. I tried to tell them that most of this violence is in certain parts of Kingston. But it didn't matter to them. It was happening in Jamaica.

Barbados, for instance, is seeing economic growth and prosperity, and one businessman there from Guyana told me, that this is so because the country is viewed as politically stable.

So what are we then to do in Jamaica? Are we to continue along the path of violence and self-destruction and see the country become a social and economic wasteland - like so many other countries that we know about? Or, are we to come to our senses before its too late, and realise that no country has survived for too long on violence?

The choice is ours. But for my part, I am going to shun violence, because I realise that history piles on its rubble heap people and nations that preach, promote and practice violence. Let's not be discarded on the garbage heap of history, but let us as Jamaicans show the way to peace, prosperity and human progress.

I am, etc.,

GEORGE S. GARWOOD

ggarwood@ispez.net

Back to Letters