Dear Editor,
Once again there is a push by the government for greater agricultural production. As usual, the biggest obstacle identified by farmers is that of praedial larceny.

For decades, this scourge has grown steadily while the government fails to address it properly- most recently with a receipt book system. I shall refrain from chanting "I told you so" with regard to the failure of that idea.

So how do other countries prevent praedial larceny? In America and Canada, your typical farmer has a rifle on hand. Any praedial larcenist must consider if the profit on a stolen cow is worth the risk of getting shot.

But alas! This solution doesn't just apply to praedial larceny. It also works for rape, burglary and extortion. Jamaica's crime rate was in line with the rest of the Caribbean until the mid-70s when the government, through a gun amnesty and the Gun Court Act, set about disarming law-abiding citizens. Since then our annual murder rate has grown from under 100 to over 1,000.

The current gun licensing regime needs to be overhauled. The goal should be to prevent just two categories of people from carrying weapons: convicted felons and the mentally ill. The licensing process should be simplified and sped up with that clear goal in mind.

We should also handle most of the process through the tax office, with all renewal fees due on the birth date of the licensee.

Finally, we should get some more aggressive retailers involved - people who will drive down the price of a firearm to levels where the working poor can be protected.

When you can go to Bashco or Megamart to pick up a pair of shoes, a DVD player and a .22 semiautomatic, our crime rates will drop sharply.

Do you think any don will send for teenaged girls if he believes their mothers capable of shooting the messenger?

Kevin Forge
kevinforge@gmail.com

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