Monday, January 29, 2007

 

Of Drive by Shootings

Lately,the drive by phenomenon has seeped into our lives. From time to time you would hear some one was fatally shot and most if not all times the dead person had some drug connection. Saturday,the reality of the drive by shootings disturbed my community and in the wink of an eye a young man was dead and one other person hospitalised. As I looked at the dead man I wanted to be sorry but I couldn't.I thought what a waste of young life but just couldn't bring myself to feel sorrow on a personal level.

Call me unfeeling but am tired of day to day life being disrupted by these so called gangsters. Sometimes,I wonder if am living in a war zone with the frequency with which gun shots disturb the quiet of the night. I don't know how things will get better especially when increasingly young men and women too are lured to the drug culture. I wonder if we even know how to address the problems in a way that will see changes.

Sometimes I feel torn for writing about the unsavoury things that are happening in my island.I don't want to paint a picture of doom and gloom but at the same time I can't pretend it's all sunshine. All I know is am getting increasingly tired of hearing about violent deaths of our young. As it stands now am thinking this war is bigger than us and we cannot win.

Comments:
Driveby shooting have become omon place here in Jamaica, with multiple deaths in some instances. If you think your country has it bad, you need to watch our news. We are averaging about 3 persons per day that's how bsd it is. Drugs, crime and murder go hand in hand, and it's only getting worse.
 
I still can't figure out why drugs are illegal. Seriously, why should it be a crime for someone to take a substance which hurts only themselves... We've seen what happens when you outlaw alcohol. Prohibition didn't stop people from drinking, but only helped finance organized crime.
 
But do they really only hurt themselves? Take alcoholics..ironically enough it's a legal drug but the damage to families is untold
 
Complicated issue. I am not sure legalizing drugs has helped Amsterdam all that much. And shootings is another issue. I am glad that you are honest enough to express what is really happening. And your beautiful Thursday pictures help show us how kind and sweet the Jamaican spirit is.
 
Yes Kami, no question.

But should the government have to be involved? I'm not saying drugs/alcohol/etc is not dangerous, I'm just saying that the government should not tell us what we can do with our bodies.

Also, if drugs are legalized they could be regulated. And taxed. It makes more sense than spending billions of dollars to try to stop drug dealers not to mention all the people imprisoned for it.

As a side note, I've never done a drug in my life so perhaps I'm minimalizing the danger of taking them.
 
Drugs are not only harmful to the ones taking them. Should they be legalised, impoverished communities would suffer as big business would take over and only sell to underpriviledged communities, who would never benefit economically. Our children will be even bigger targets, once again.

No need to worry about tarnishing the image of your Island Kami, as we are all aware that there is no such thing as perfection anymore. When it no longer affects us emotionally - that is when we should worry.
 
Should they be legalised, impoverished communities would suffer as big business would take over and only sell to underpriviledged communities, who would never benefit economically.

Yes, because impoverished communities are really doing well with criminals dealing the drugs.
 
drugs is something that we all live with... and legalising it would only make it worst.... i hear what you are saying Abeni i too have seen people on the ground dead or on bleeding profusly and i could not feel any sort of sorrow in my heart for them but only for the family of them that are weeping and suffering because of there mis fortune drugs will always have an indirect effect on our lives and that is the unfortunate thiing about it...

Peas owt
 
It's hard to find something to say in these situations. All you can do is hope that things get better.
 
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