THE EDITOR, Sir:
WANT TO reduce crime and violence? Want to improve our economic fortunes? Then, RESCUE THE YOUTH NOW! So many of our youth can be seen on the street corners every day, literally dying for something to do. ANYTHING! They are always available to participate in roadblocks and other illegal activities, whereas, if they were otherwise occupied, they would not have time to get into trouble. Of the "Braeton Seven" and countless others, it is extremely sad that we will never know what great potentials the world lost.
Let us invite our returning residents to come home and teach our young people leaving school what they learnt abroad. The deportees are already doing just that, teaching our idle youth what they learnt abroad and turning our girls into "mules" and our boys into "jackasses". We need to rescue them from this now. Many of our returning residents would help because:
1. They were in the same boat before they left Jamaica, (lacking in opportunity), only not nearly in the great danger as today's youth.
2. They hate what they hear about Jamaica, and they would like the opportunity to help change that, and
3. They yearn to come home to one of the most beautiful spots on the face of the earth.
As an added incentive, we should waive the customs duties on their personal effects. We have nothing to lose. If they come, so will their money and the country will benefit tremendously in so many ways. We just have to guard against imposters, and surely, this can't be beyond us.
I am, etc.,
VICTOR L. NUGENT
P.O. Box 206
St. Ann's Bay
