Invest in people, not in guns

THE EDITOR, Sir:

THIS LETTER addresses the reasons that Jamaica should invest more in human resources and less in the security or military forces.

I believe that by investing more in human resources, Jamaica in the long run will minimise its social, political, and economical problems; particularly in the area of gun-related murder.

I strongly believe that this will significantly reduce the hundreds of poor and uneducated Jamaican citizens who always get killed by gunmen as Jamaica gets closer to a General Election.

Jamaica needs to invest in its youth - now. We need to introduce a course in all schools from elementary to high schools. This course should be named, "Politics and Crime Reduction."

This course should focus on explaining to our children why Jamaica needs dominant political parties such as the JLP and PNP. This course should help our children to understand that in a democratic system, we need a two-party system or even several parties.

This course should help our children to understand that it is all right for your relatives, friends and strangers to vote for either the JLP or PNP. It should teach our children also that regardless of which party your relatives, friends and strangers vote for or belong to, we are all Jamaican citizens and we should value human lives. We should never murder someone because that person does not belong to your party or votes for the other party.

If the two major parties would endorse, enforce, and implement this kind of programme in schools, then I am sure in the year 2031, we will not be talking about 900 people killed. Jamaica is now investing in acquiring more guns from the British Government for our police.

Where is the investment for the poor and uneducated who have been the victims of gunmen since 1962?

While I agree that Jamaica is an easy access for drugs dealers to transship drugs to the USA and other countries, the vast majority of the gun-related deaths are not from drug trafficking. The vast majority of gun-related deaths in Jamaica take place in the poor areas and among the uneducated people.

I guess because Jamaica is not being penalised when the poor get murdered like when drugs are transported to other countries, which often results in millions of USA dollars fines or millions of pounds, then the poor people of Jamaica are not significant in terms of the heavy fines, so, it does not matter.

The controlled murdering of poor Jamaican needs to stop. Let us educate all Jamaicans about respect for other human lives. Let us respect the laws of Jamaica. Let us stop glorifying and supporting the "dons".

Let us be true to our country. Let us preach love, respect for other human lives and let us preach unity not division. Again, I say Jamaica, wake up Jamaica, deal with your problems, work together in unity and solve your problems.

I am, etc.,

CARGILL KELLY, Sr.

c465@erols.com

Via Go-Jamaica

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