Dear Editor,

The Christopher “Dudus” Coke affair should be a lesson to both the JLP and the PNP that one cannot mix politics with criminals. Even though the prime minister tried his utmost to delay the extradition, the thugs and Dudus were not impressed by his attempts to delay this proceedings. The thugs and their so-called don continue to launch unlawful attacks on the state and members of the security forces.

It is sad that the security forces are “caught between a rock and a hard place”. Prime Minister Golding had no right to announce publicly that he had signed the extradition request without putting stronger security measures in place, knowing that he is playing with fire, so to speak, by being involved with the extradition request of a reputed so-called don whom no party can tame.

Take, for instance, the fact that the PNP and the JLP thugs have now “joined hands and hearts together” to fight against the state. Criminals can’t be tamed.

I am sorry for the innocent law-abiding citizens, and especially the security forces who are caught in the mayhem of this terrible politics versus criminals, corruption and violence. The security forces were given the task without being adequately prepared for the situation, it seems. Why did the prime minister announce that he was going to have a warrant executed on a so-called don when the procedure is not to let a criminal know that there is a warrant out, but to discreetly move in, and take the suspect?

Prime Minister Golding and his followers as well as Leader of the Opposition Portia Simpson Miller and her followers should take to the battlefront instead of letting the security forces be a scapegoat in the mayhem created by both parties. This is dirty politics and the security forces are caught in the middle. I express sincere condolence to the family and friends of the police officers and soldiers who have lost their lives because of the stupidity and corruption of dirty politics in the country they have sworn to protect.

It’s time we act to cure Jamaica of this stigma that continues to wreak havoc in such a beautiful country. I am ashamed to be called a Jamaican.

Trudy Thompson-Ferguson

New Jersey

gkt0775@yahoo.com