Dear Editor,
I have read with interest the letter to the editor in the Jamaica Observer on Tuesday January 6, 2015 entitled 'Our cultural psyche is reprehensible'.
If it is true, I do not for one second take away from the gravity of the alleged stabbing of a woman because she was supposed to have been a lesbian. Nor do I take away from any of the other incidents in which homosexuals were harmed, allegedly because of their choice in lifestyle. All acts of mistreatment and violence should not be encouraged in our society.
The writer's closing statement that only the appropriately masculine or feminine among us are safe and that a reduction in crime offers no comfort is very strong and should not be made in a vacuum.
While it is not a positive virtue, Jamaica is known for being inherently, non-discriminatingly violent. Undoubtedly, this stems from a dwindling family structure in which fathers do not sufficiently support and guide their families, and mothers do not instil pride and esteem in their children. The ripple effect is that many have not learned to value human life.
The harsh reality is that this has very little to do with age, race, sex and the like. To state the reduction in crime is of no comfort and to blatantly ignore the murders of countless human beings is to further devalue the sanctity of human life and will achieve nothing.
Shan Hal
shan21@hotmail.com
Value human life, in general
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I have read with interest the letter to the editor in the Jamaica Observer on Tuesday January 6, 2015 entitled 'Our cultural psyche is reprehensible'.
If it is true, I do not for one second take away from the gravity of the alleged stabbing of a woman because she was supposed to have been a lesbian. Nor do I take away from any of the other incidents in which homosexuals were harmed, allegedly because of their choice in lifestyle. All acts of mistreatment and violence should not be encouraged in our society.
The writer's closing statement that only the appropriately masculine or feminine among us are safe and that a reduction in crime offers no comfort is very strong and should not be made in a vacuum.
While it is not a positive virtue, Jamaica is known for being inherently, non-discriminatingly violent. Undoubtedly, this stems from a dwindling family structure in which fathers do not sufficiently support and guide their families, and mothers do not instil pride and esteem in their children. The ripple effect is that many have not learned to value human life.
The harsh reality is that this has very little to do with age, race, sex and the like. To state the reduction in crime is of no comfort and to blatantly ignore the murders of countless human beings is to further devalue the sanctity of human life and will achieve nothing.
Shan Hal
shan21@hotmail.com
Value human life, in general
-->