Michelle A. Smith, Contributor
ANY home - rich or dirt poor - usually has a WELCOME mat or some special way of greeting persons to where you live. Do you not think this should also apply to the port of entry to our island home, Jamaica?
However, visitors and residents alike must view with trepidation and fear the route they must journey to and from Norman Manley International Airport.
I think it is a disgrace that the East Kingston area has been allowed to become so volatile that it resembles a "ghost town" on most days, and escalating over the past several months. It reminds me of very old western movies with towns that are deserted with just lonely cactus, saloons and shops boarded up and no sign of people - not even a dog, a mouse or lizard as the quiet wind whips up the dirt on the streets.
This journey is now hazardous for all persons who must ply between the eastern end of our island and the city to conduct their personal and company business. As an employee in the airline/tourism industry, I too am forced to use that route to go to work every day and I, along with the hundreds (maybe even thousands) of other employees (airline, customs, immigration, airport services, Redcap porters, rent-a-car, transportation, credit union, banks to name a few) travel at different hours of the day 24 hours, seven days a weeks, providing a valuable service to our country.
It came home to me last week, when a colleague was going to work on an early morning shift, encountered what appeared to be a legitimate, wooden barricade. This barricade was mounted in the vicinity of the intersection of Deanery and Mountain View Avenue (just below Excelsior High School entrances), being manned, unbeknownst to her until she was actually on it, by three masked men, dressed in black, equipped with enormous-looking weapons she was unable to identify the make of the weapons but likened the length to that of a fishing rod. The men opened fire (about three shots), fortunately not hitting her and she was able to drive through the barricade. I can only imagine the horror, fright and trauma that must have been felt all along thinking that she was dead while screaming hysterically.
Only the Lord must have empowered and guided her to lie below the wheel and just drive through the barricade down Deanery Road past St. Joseph's Hospital.
In the meantime, she used her cellular to telephone her father-in-law who arrived quickly gently coaxing her out of the car, shocked and horrified. According to her, she could hear the sound of the bullets whizzing past her and thoughts flashed through her mind of her infant son, husband and family, when she finally brought the car to a halt and hid under the dashboard. At that hour of the morning approximately 5:00 a.m., she said there was no sign of people anywhere.
What can one say to a person with such an experience who is expected to go to work for the benefit of our country, meeting and greeting the people who are travelling through our airports, saying good morning/evening have a nice day come back and visit Jamaica soon! Productivity must be nil in our workforce as a result of these daily experiences.
This incident is alarming and frightening what do we do where do we go drive the alternate route which is substantially longer and equally as dark and lonely as Mountain View? Or do we quit and run away from our country further depleting Jamaica of the young, energetic professionals?
Eventually, I feel that there will be no other route if the gunmen are allowed to have their way. I cannot even say it is too late for Jamaica, as that has been said many times before, and it seems that we will never again be free and safe in our country unless there is a "beam" at the end of the tunnel and not that of a high-powered weapon - but one that can take us out of this misery which now haunts our dreams and thoughts.
Since this traumatic experience, my co-worker has returned to work after a couple of days off which is an indication of her loyalty, strength of character and determination, and which has been tremendously enhanced by the caring, love and support shown by her family unit. These supportive traits must be emulated by all of us, especially as we unite together to overpower the criminals that we encounter in our everyday life.
We, as Jamaicans, must demand more from our politicians if we are really expected to believe the statement "Governments have a responsibility to ensure the safety of all their citizens". No talking - action only required!
