I am depressed, stressed and unable to to express it in a manner I deem adequate. The hurt, pain and trauma I am experiencing just to think of the violent sexual acts that are being perpetrated on our Jamaican females. I am traumatized not only because I am a woman but mostly because I have a baby girl (and a baby boy) who it pains me to think that some deviant pervert might be viewing in a sexual manner and would hurt them if given half a chance. This shouldn't be.


What drives a man to abuse a three year old girl? How does he feel committing this heinous act? Does it concern him that this child, this gift from God is a person and will undoubtedly be traumatized for the rest of her life - considering she even survive this ghastly ordeal? I tell you the truth, words are eluding me to truly describe the horror I feel just knowing that women are seen by some sick minded men as things to be possessed and controlled for their own sick pleasure. How does it feel to be a woman, knowing that being raped and killed is a reality every Jamaican woman has to live with from day to day? 



So are the boys safe? Far from it. Take for example those two unfortunate boys recently whose bodies were found in the river. Noway are boys safe. Parents, family members, teachers etc. need to be more vigilant. Hear are some ways by which we can take care of our Jamaican children:


1.         Explain the consequences of accepting rides from                            strangers. 

2.        Do not send your young children on the road by                                   themselves


3.        Teach them about bad touch


4.         Don't write their names on their backpack   and                                     lunch kits visibly


5.         Listen to your child - if he or she says something is                            wrong - LISTEN!


No need to fool ourselves, a high percentage of  molestations and rapes are done by family members. BE WARNED!  We really have to do all we can to save the future Prime Ministers, politicians, doctors, teachers, engineers. We have to take care of our children. They are the future of Jamaica


 
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Putting Prisoners to work
I hate to think of what would happen if we should have a major disaster in Jamaica. We are in the hurricane season and anything is still possible. Earthquakes are a never ending threat to the island and floods and landslides happen every time it rains. How would we really fear in a major disaster on the scale of what happened in Haiti or any other of those countries in recent times?

Now let us take it a step down and look at the condition of some of our roads in the island. Commuting to work is a daily headache. We skip potholes, jump over potholes, fall in potholes and wrestle with potholes.  A 20 minutes commute can take up to a hour on some of our roads and please remember that (if my memory serves me well) the gas tax was in aid of fixing the roads.Before the JEEP drove out there was also the fear of the growth on the sidewalks meeting in the middle of the road - yes it was that bad!

There is always a solution to every problem and I believe that Jamaica as a country is experiencing great economic hardship and there is not a lot of money in the "kitty". We have, however, a largely untaped labour source from which we can get free labour and also teach respect for self, others and country, discipline and where these people will get a chance to contribute positively to the society and nation building. We could use the members of our prisons to help with the cleaning of the roads. Someone must have considered this possibility and I would like to hear of potential dangers to this opinion. In this regard we would have to garner the help of the soldiers who I believe will have the time, resources and certainly the energy to supervise these workers.

The country would save on expenses since we are already providing the basic need for these prisoners who owe a debt to society and the soldiers are already getting paid. Of course it would benefit the prisoners too. They would get a chance to get out of the prison environment for sometime  and would be making a worthwhile contribution to the development and maintenance of their country. 

There are many other jobs  which we could use our "men behind the iron doors" to do. Who is to say that locking away a convict for the rest of his life will automatically change him? Maybe interacting with the populace in a limited way will help him to learn the errors of his ways and his behaviour will change... Until such times.












 

Crime and Violence in Jamaica

The intensity of the crimes that are being committed on our beloved island make the innocent, law-abiding citizens want to run for their lives. These crimes are inching nearer and nearer. Once they were outside of our safety zone and frankly, many of us thought little of them. Now, they are happening right at our doorsteps and to people we know. The only thing I hear on people's lips now-a-days is, "How long till it happens to me?"

Of course we can  blame a lot of people. We can blame the Government, the police force, the criminals and just about anyone, but, have you stopped to realize that we, the citizens of the country are as much to be blamed as all of these other persons and organizations?

If we know where the culprits are and refuse from letting the law deal with them we are to be blamed. If we are the mothers and the girlfriends of the culprits and are benefiting from the spoils of their criminality, we are to be blamed. If we are politicians who benefit from the chaos that these brutal killings bring, we are to be blamed. Yes, many of us are to be blamed in one way or another.

Edmund Burke said..."The only thing necessary for the triumph [of evil] is for good men to do nothing", so ably and truthfully said. We all need to be more proactive in finding a solution to this canker called crime and violence.

Lack of employment, hopelessness and despair are a few of the main causes of it.Young people now-a-days have become materialistic and think that getting rich can only be done through lawlessness. Not many persons want to be held down to a nine to five so the only things remaining all constitute breaking the law. Thus we have the lotto scams and many more illegal activities the are tarnishing the brand Jamaica. 

When will we come to our senses and realize that we are only hurting ourselves and the people around us. When will we give up selfishness and adopt care and consideration for our fellow men? I really hope it will be soon as this horse called Jamaica, cannot take anymore riding to hell.





 
Jamaica 50 Celebration

At first I was really perturbed by the call to go to school on August 6th, however, after I spent some time analyzing the situation I began to understand the 'bigger picture'. Jamaicans as a whole need to be reminded of our past in order that we can chart a path for the future. We have become so culturally "unaware" that it is difficult for us to understand and accept ourselves. What better way than to start with our children? They will be our vehicle of change. They will learn to appreciate the fight and hardships of our forefathers in an effort that we can be where we are at present - a free nation. Yes we have our difficulties, but which nation doesn't? We have much to be thankful for. Usain Bolt, Shellyann, Veronica and the rest of the Olympic Team are doing us proud. We have achieved so much. 

Apart from all this our children will begin to accept themselves for who they are and will realize that beauty is more than skin deep and so will get rid of the bleaching cream and pills. The young men will wear their pants where they are suppose to be worn - at the waist - and the social graces will return in the society.

Most importantly, the Government through the Ministry of Education is bringing back the teaching of Civics in the schools, a subject that was for many years integrated in Social Studies. This too will prove vital in the education our children on their culture and acceptable norms of the society. Hats off to this venture. Walk good and take care of you and yours until you hear from me or I hear form you. Get into the true Jamaican vibes. Muah!