THE EDITOR, Sir:
JAMAICANS FOR Justice's executive director Carolyn Gomes seems to have found her mission in life: A mission to pursue justice for those disadvantaged Jamaicans who for one reason or the other cannot secure justice for themselves.
People become missionaries for different reasons, some for religious reasons or spiritual satisfaction, while others may want to atone for some past family sins. Whatever the motivation, serving one's fellow man is a noble ideal.
My problem with Jamaicans For Justice is the seemingly limited scope of their operation. They seem interested only in those cases involving alleged police brutality, or unlawful killings by the security forces.
During this past year there have been numerous vicious, senseless murders, too many to mention. However, during the latter part of November three murders stood out that made me want to scream. Why, how did we come to this? One is the murder of the Bahamian student in Mandeville. The other is the woman abducted in St. Mary when her boyfriend escaped through the back door. She was later found with her throat slashed. The third is the mother down in Clarendon shot in the head while she fed her one-month old baby.
I want to ask Jamaicans For Justice is here anyone more deserving of justice than those three victims and their families? Consider the difference it would have made had a Jamaicans For Justice representative visited these families to offer their sympathy. Consider further, if they then and there appealed to the community to come forward and tell the police what they know so that these killers could be caught and justice fulfilled.
If Jamaicans For Justice wants to make its mark in history they should widen their operation to include justice for all Jamaicans, not only those who block roads, parade card-board signs and bawl justice.
I am, etc.,
SIDNEY ELLIOTT
Kingston
