Gangsters’ relatives should save themselves

THE EDITOR, Sir: IN LIGHT of the very credible suggestion from the police that gang warfare is the major (almost exclusive) driver of Jamaica’s continually escalating murder rate, it occurs to me that there is a relatively simple way to dramatically reduce, or totally eliminate, the problem.

Because of the murder/ reprisal/counter-reprisal nature of the gang warfare phenomenon, every family that includes, or is related to, gang members in any way should recognise that many persons believe that the authorities should simply allow them to continue killing each other until there are not enough men left to form a gang of any size.

Not a particularly good idea to reduce the murder rate, I think you will agree.

The way forward, then, in my estimation, is for gang members’ families to rise up with one voice/mind, as much as possible, against the murder/ reprisal/counter-reprisal cycle. They should isolate and report gang members and gang activities to the police.

This is in order not only to save the lives of gang members, whether innocent or guilty, but, even more important, to save the lives of innocent near and distant relatives, and friends and neighbours of gang members.

Otherwise, it might well soon be safe and credible to say “that there is no need for us to worry about reducing murder and/or other crimes, as we will all be dead” (including gang members’ friends and family) – thanks to our murderous gang members and their silent partners: friends, relatives, etc. Dat me a seh. C.A. GORDON carltongor@gmail.com Kingston 10