Irredeemable is accurate

Dear Editor,

At the time when the Titanic was around it was believed by many to have been the best ship to have ever been built. It was also thought by many to be unsinkable. In 2020, we know better and, as they say, hindsight is 20/20.

The captain, it is alleged, refused to believe his ship could actually wind up at the bottom of the sea, and that is eventually where they both went. He failed to let go.

I heard a news story on the radio on December 1, 2020 that left me feeling very depressed. A returning resident, in his 70s, was reported to have been shot dead at his home in Chapelton, Clarendon. Hearing that had me thinking about that once great ship, the Titanic, and comparing it with Jamaica.

When former Cabinet Minister Omar Davies used the term irredeemable to describe some of his constituents, he came in for some harsh criticism, and he later softened his stance. The fact of the matter, though, is that he was right, and some of the recent killings we’ve seen across the country confirm this. I personally believe the truth trumps being polite and politically correct every single time.

I don’t think we, here in Jamaica, are at a crossroads, we passed there years ago, and I have concluded that this country is irredeemable. If I could get a visa tomorrow I would be gone before the week is out. Many Jamaicans probably hold the same view as I do, but are afraid to articulate it. Those that differ usually see the light when one tragedy or another visits their doorstep because they have no vision.

Let me ask a silly question: How many Jamaicans are killed in the United States annually? Compare that against how many Jamaicans lose their lives here in Jamaica over the same period and tell me where is safer for Jamaicans.

Incidentally, will there be any protests over this elder man’s brutal killing? Without a doubt a substantial number of people here knew him, and he had relatives here. How many of those who protested up by the United States Embassy in Kingston actually knew, or were related to George Floyd?

People of the ilk of our parliamentarians aren’t really affected by these things, as it rarely affects them directly. They usually own firearms, have security details, and can afford additional private security, unlike the average Jamaican. There is no hurry, therefore, to change the status quo — unless you are leaving politics and will shortly be thrown back among the lumpen.