THE EDITOR Sir,I RETURNED home to Jamaica a few weeks ago after visiting a couple of the Eastern Caribbean Islands. Whilst in the region I faced the seemingly endless criticisms of Jamaica ranging from the crime, the exchange rate, the drug dons and our garrison communities.
I wondered yet again how our leaders feel when they travelled to other countries in the region. Do they ever hear these comments, and if they do, does this evoke a sense of shame and anger?
One person asked a question that really had me cornered; he asked "will Jamaica ever return to being what it was before its independence when it was the envy of the entire region? I answered yes, I had no choice. In that moment I had to embrace a reality that gave hope or succumb to another reality that we were doomed to continue on this path to demise.
Back home the stark reality confronts me, in the past week my cousin was held up by gunmen, his companion shot and killed; he too was shot but survived, both were robbed and his vehicle taken.
In the same week my neighbour had her car stolen, a close friend had his car stolen and my godson's parents were held up in their office by two gunmen, staff and clients were robbed. All these incidents took place in one week, the countless others that took place did not affect me directly.
The real challenge we face is "do we want to live under this illusion that we must have a clique of dons and gunmen who are necessary to protect the power of certain elements in the society."
I would just like to use the words of Thoreau "For every thousand hacking at the leaves of evil, there is one striking at the root". I would like to take the liberty of changing the words of Thoreau to say "For every hundred watering and nurturing the tree of evil, for every thousand who hide behind the bushes, let us hope there is one or two who want to hack at the roots".
I am, etc.,
FAYE E. JACOBS
fayej@n5.com
