The Editor, Sir:

Through the grace of the Almighty, I am a survivor who fought two gunmen and obviously escaped with my life and with one of their guns loaded with five copper shots. Therefore, I know God helps those who help themselves.

Same old analyses

After more than 7,000 murders in the last five years, we seem to be going around in circles with the same old analyses and debates.

We have already exhausted debates on the causes of our crime problem, democracy, human rights, rehabilitation, poverty, opportunities, jobs, rule of law, the Bible and the political parties.

We have also debated various 'solutions' - more resources, more committees, social interventions, poverty alleviation, more jobs, more training, more opportunities, etc - all almost exquisitely for the benefit of the 'human' mutants (murderers), at the expense of the victims and our society.

We, the innocent, must realise that none of the above-stated approaches is going to work with these heartless criminals.

We need to send a very strong, relevant message to the fewer than 5,000 murderers in our midst in the only language they understand: physical violence.

Militant approach

We need to change the psyche of these savages, these cowards, these less-than-human beings, these heartless criminals, not with words and threats, and theses about causes and customary solutions.

We need a different approach - a militant one.

I propose we make our representatives enact appropriate legislation or do whatever is necessary to implement our own Jamaican version of the Muslim Shariah laws.

We must fight this crime problem before we can move forward spiritually, economically, holistically or any other '-ally'. (I am not a Muslim.)

I further propose that:

We immediately conduct medical procedures on all convicted capital murderers, starting with those on multiple-murder convictions. These procedures would result in the removal of both legs. One hand should be removed, leaving two fingers on the other hand, and also the removal of their tongues.

These limbless, dumb murderers must then be given the best medical attention available to ensure that they live a very healthy, long, miserable life, conscious of their deeds and the miserable life remaining for them on this Earth. To my mind, this would be the best deterrent; hanging would be too swift.

With this punishment, other criminals would think twice, and more, before taking another human life. They could occupy some remote prison, and victims' relatives and others could observe them and experience some closure.

The government offer a two-week amnesty to all illegal guns. A mandatory sentence of 20 years for all illegal guns would then be implemented. Conviction on gun charges could lead to prison time with the limbless murderers.

We then disarm the police, and the public, with only ranking senior officers allowed to carry guns.

Revise Convictions

Similarly, convictions for rapes, incest and paedophile activities would result in castration, along with a stiff mandatory sentence.

A conviction for corruption, especially political corruption, would command a stiffer mandatory sentence as most people believe that this is where our problems all started.

Convicted praedial larceny should involve the removal of limbs, maybe a hand or a foot, together with lashes. Then, we could implement social-intervention programmes.

I am positive that these drastic measures would reduce our crime level drastically and bring our society closer to the Almighty, and to the paradise that He has given us.

I am, etc.,

Gun Attack Survivor