Dear Editor,

The condition in the country is not caused by crime and criminals but by people who govern the country. If a country is not productive and the people are uneducated to the point where they are leaving secondary school unable to read, what prospect is there for young people from the inner cities?

It was reported that there have been over 400 murders in 90 days and the debate in Parliament is on constitutional rights, and how information is obtained. Sir, what about the ordinary citizens’ rights to life, liberty, and protection? The police force cannot contain or control crime in a country where corruption is a part of its DNA. Ordinary Jamaicans, regardless of their social and economic situation, should feel safe in their homes. This is not the case. Many communities are forced to be subjected to their area dons for protection because they have lost faith in the justice system. Crime is an offspring of desperation and poverty. People feel hopeless in a society that is deteriorating by the minute.

It seems the government is not there to protect the people but to protect themselves and their families. When people find themselves subjected to a life of fear on a day-to-day basis, they will automatically either fight or take a flight — the migration level speaks for itself. The government has for years suppressed its citizens and their rights have been sold out to the point where they are now paying a debt that will take a lifetime to repay. Both political parties need to come together to help to correct the many mistakes that continue to take place and stop trying to score political points to win the next election.

Rev Tanasha Buchanan

tanashabuchanan@yahoo.com