THE EDITOR, Sir:
I'M WRITING to you to express my concern about this new visa system that has been implemented in England as of January 9, 2003. I am a Black British-born woman of Jamaican parentage and I have been around decent hard-working Jamaican people all of my life. I am now married to a wonderful Jamaican man and could not wish for a better husband.
I am really disappointed at the fact that some Jamaicans that have been in England for a while are happy and relieved about this visa system that has recently been introduced. Yes, there are bad Jamaicans but there is also good and bad in every nationality and I'm sick and tired of all crime that happens in Britain being linked to Jamaicans or so-called 'Yardies.'
What people, or the press don't realise is that a lot of British youths are committing these awful crimes that are taking place in England today and trying to pass themselves off as Jamaicans to get the respect on the streets. They try to adapt to the Jamaican way by speaking the patois and trying to follow their style of dressing.
We as black people need to come together, stop the black-on-black killing, get some form of petition/lobbying up and running instead of sitting back and taking this so lightly. We also need to start behaving ourselves on a whole. I have an 18-month-old son and every day I'm frightened for him. The future looks very bleak if we continue to behave in this way.
I am etc.,
MAXINE EDWARDS (Mrs.)
maxine@paludi1.freeserve.co.uk
Peckham, London
United Kingdom
Via Go-Jamaica
