Poisoned minds lead to crime

THE EDITOR, Sir: I RECENTLY had occasion to visit one of Jamaica’s many primary schools. It was a Christmas fair, and one of the biggest features was the children, mainly boys, running around with toy guns and swords.

This had me thinking about other things that we do, like when a man says, “Mi shat the work,” or “Booyaka” (sound of the M16 rifle), “Mi kill it last night” (meaning a sexual encounter), or the many other words and expressions that we use.

Of course, we may not be able to stop the carnage that we see in the movies and hear in dancehall. I recently jumped on an airconditioned bus, and big women and children were exposed to some of the vilest of Vybz Kartel’s sexual lyrics that I, myself, as a 40-plus-year-old, had to blush. Kartel described some areas of the female anatomy that I did not know existed or could be handled in that manner.

And with all of this, we call ourselves decent citizens who just criticise our nation’s high crime and not wonder the causes.

I remember watching one of the series of Police Academy movies where a policeman and his colleague are walking and he throws an apple behind him, and it hit a member of two rival gangs and it started a gang feud there.

Our academics need to stop issuing study after study after study and come up with solutions as simple as telling the Government to stop importing toy guns as toy cars, ships, boats and houses will create more mechanics and fisherfolk and not more gunmen.

Our children need inspirational leadership in the home and in our Government and schools. We need to teach parents how to become better at making their children lead better lives. There is too much selfishness in our society, and I will keep on setting the example of kindness and love towards my fellowmen and women as my grandmother taught me through her actions. MARK TROUGHT marktrought@gmail.com