Dear Editor,

Recently, I have been listening and reading with disgust the utterances from high places in Jamaica about the word “garrison”. If there is such a thing as garrisons in Jamaica, those who are now echoing the word “garrison” should ask themselves why there are garrisons and what is a garrison.

I was born in Allman Town in Kingston which then was referred to as an inner-city community. The people within these communities lived together, played together, went to the same school together and interacted then as one big family. There were no gun-toting people and no border lines where one could or could not cross. The only rivalry that existed was for girls.

Therefore, to answer the question, why these communities are now referred to as garrisons, one needs to understand that these communities over the years have been living without adequate or no basic social amenities such as a proper education. There is a lack of decent jobs or none at all, and basically none of what it takes that would allow people from these garrison communities to achieve what those people who are now touting the word “garrison” have achieved. These so-called garrisons were developed by design by our political system as well as by people with influence in our society. The politicians armed them with ammunition and funds to develop and maintain a one-party system in these communities with the support of a number of big businesses who receive protection for their businesses for a cost from those referred to as the dons.

Therefore, for Prime Minister Holness to hold hands with Opposition Leader Portia Simpson Miller and walk in these communities is not the answer to bringing justice there or having them dismantled.

There needs to be a sustained programme in those communities which will raise the standard of living of those people, like having good housing, good schools instead of failed schools, and decent job opportunities. This must be done by the government and people in civil society who created and supported these situations. It is clear that if these communities were provided with the amenities, Jamaica would have been a country of opportunity for all, instead of a minority.

I think it is important to mention that some of the upscale communities involved in lifestyles such as wife-swapping, sexually molesting their children and engaging in holding narcotic parties should change their ways as these activities are morally wrong. They should concentrate instead on assisting in developing these so-called garrison communities to take them out of poverty.

D Clive

St James