The Editor, Sir:

In response to the letter, 'The saddest goodbye', my heart hurt. Even though Jamaica is not my place of birth, I have a genuine love for this beautiful country, the culture and its people. When the cold and stress of work here in the U.S. take a toll on me, I call my travel agent and buy a ticket and I head straight for Jamaica.

But everyday, my day doesn't start well unless I read the STAR and The Gleaner. When I read this story, 'The saddest goodbye', I was sad and hurt, then anger spread across me like a wildfire. How can a man be so cold and heartless and negligent? The ones who can commit such a cruel act must be put down like a rabid wild dog.

Resume hangings

I love Jamaica so much, and when I open the paper, everyday, someone is dying from violence. I urge the Government to resume hangings, clean out the prisons with these hardened criminals who kill at the drop of a dime. The Government needs to get on the ball and stop spending so much money on million-dollar trips for the PM and start putting some of the money into helping to improve people's lives.

Start by teaching people trades and helping them to land jobs, maybe having free schools. If you don't start with the children, then this vicious cycle just repeats itself. No mother or father should ever have to bury his or her child because of senseless violence. It's going to take not only the Government of Jamaica, but the people to take a stand and turn over these criminals.

I am, etc.,

VERONICA,

lovejamaica@msn.com,

Pennsylvania,

Via Go-Jamaica