THE EDITOR, Sir:
THE MAJORITY of Jamaican immigrants in Britain are decent and law-abiding. However, the minority have once again contributed to the unhappiness of the majority. The imposition of a visa requirement for Jamaicans wishing to enter Britain will have far-reaching effects for locals and their Jamaican families living in Britain.
For whatever reason this was done, the fact is that we Jamaicans have got to come to terms with it. One of the crucial questions that the political directorate past and present must ask is why have so many Jamaicans over preceding decades chosen to flee their homeland for the USA and Britain. The answer to this question lies in a lack of opportunity which leads to a lack of hope. If there is no hope then life becomes meaningless for achievement through the use of opportunity. That is what builds self esteem. Our people lack self esteem and that is why they are so complacent.
Education is the most important feature of most first world nations. That is why such nations have been able to survive and prosper since the industrial revolution. Barbados has shown what putting the education of its people first can do. Singapore, China, Europe have done the same. Why does Jamaica continue to be left behind?
One of the leading factors of crime in this country is that too many of our people are illiterate. Then, we export this culture of violence to other nations and expect that they will tolerate it. We should not blame Britain for the visa situation. We must blame our preceding governments for not prioritising education to the extent that they could have and should have. This led to the lack of growth and development of our industries and commercial endeavours and therefore lack of opportunities for the majority. Thus, street vending and get-rich-quick schemes such as drug trafficking took on new life.
This government must come to terms with this issue and then take short, medium and long-term steps toward dealing with it. From this point in our history we can either sink or swim.
I am etc.,
PATRICK A. GALLIMORE
pagalley@hotmail.com
Kingston
Via Go-Jamaica
