THE EDITOR, Sir:
I AM writing in response to Mr. Jerome Henry's reaction, June 24, 2004, to a comment made by a senior Minister of Government that most of the men between the ages of 18 and 27 in his constituency were unemployable, were illiterate and were irredeemable. While I agree with Mr. Henry that it is the responsibility of Government to ensure that the children born in Jamaica have opportunities to learn and grow, each of us to some extent must take charge of our own destinies.
We need to stop relying on the Government for our every need and strive to become more self-reliant. We may not all be rich and have everything we need, but we can make use of the little we do have. I have seen many men and women rise above their childhood poverty to become great citizens in Jamaica. Their parents understood the benefits of getting an education and took the time to parent their children. If parents today spent more time with their children, taking an interest in their learning and development, there would a lot less of those unemployable, illiterate and irredeemable men the Minister referred to.
Yes, we were all born with potential. How we choose to develop that potential is the responsibility of each individual with guidance from our parents and families. Mr. Henry, becoming a worthwhile citizen should start at home, not with our government. Maybe if we start accepting the fact that we have some responsibility for determining our own future, then maybe we can nurture a cohort of young men who are employable, literate and redeemable.
I am etc.
JANET STRUDWICK
SMITH
jstrudwicksmith@yahoo.com
Silver Spring,
Maryland, USA
Via Go-Jamaica
