THE EDITOR, Sir:
I AM a Jamaican living overseas and it is my heart's desire to return home next year. The problem is, I am scared. I am scared stiff at the level of crime scarring my beautiful home. I was home last year and just a few houses away a man used a knife to snuff out the life of a mother of four. Of course that was too close for comfort. I boarded the plane back to another man's land for safety. When has Jamaica come to this? What is happening to my people?
ARDENT TRAVELLER
I am an ardent traveller and as a proud Jamaican I never fail to boast about Jamaica, the land that I love. Sadly though, those to whom I have boasted often responded ... "It's sad about the level of crime, though".
Despite the fact that crime and violence is taking its toll on my people, I always remember and am encouraged by the colours of our national flag. I am reassured that all is not lost. We are faced with many internal and external conflicts that are hard to deal with at times but we live in a beautiful country that is rich in everything, we only need to stop the fighting and the bickering and actually look around us at what we are blessed with.
Some Caribbean countries do not have half as much natural resources as we have yet they appreciate the little they have and guard it grudgingly. Look at Jamaica, look at what we have ... the land is green, it is beautiful! Then the gold assures me that there is hope and the sun continues to shine. No matter how we fight against each other God still sends out his blessings on our land.
The black smoke rising from burnt tyres and burnt down houses and gunsmoke sometimes hide the fact that we are blessed, and will obscure the gold; but once we as a people unitedly take a firm stance against the two-headed monster of crime and violence, then we will be ready to show the world that we have made it through the fire as a country, we are a resilient set of people and we have fought for our gold.
WILL RETURN NEXT YEAR
I applaud all the efforts being made by the various institutions that have united to curb the level of crime in our society. I wag my forefinger at those who complain and gripe about these institutions not acting earlier and impotent politicians.
I tip my hat to all true Jamaicans who are fed up with the criminal wranglings in our country and are doing something about it. I will return home next year because after all, Jamaica is the only piece of land in this world that I can call my own. I have to help defend it.
I am, etc.,
MILLICENT DAWSON
millyjoydawson@hotmail.com
Freeport, Grand Bahama
Via Go-Jamaica
