Dear Editor,
For any society to grow, freedom of speech is very vital. The Jamaica Observer has never shied away for allowing people to voice their opinions, which, to me, is very important.
However, it is also important that some opinions are best kept out of the media because they serve no purpose. The Jamaica Observer carried a very good article headlined 'SDA pastor wants US Gov't to stem flow of guns into the island', but some of the responses from Americanised people to that article are utter poppycock. Some even mentioned the Second Amendment, which means a well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state and the right of the people to keep and bear arms.
Instead of ranting and throwing the pastor under the bus, we might want to examine closely what the pastor is saying. One person commented "First and foremost we are not citizens of America, so it isn't their job to protect us, it is, however, the job of our Jamaican Government to do so. Secondly, the possession of firearms is not considered illegal in America, as it is in our country".
This is utter nonsense. Is it Jamaica's job to protect America's citizens from weed, cocaine and other drugs coming out of Jamaica to that country? Should Jamaica turn a blind eye at its airports when drugs are heading to America?
If the Americans can tell Jamaica to do more to stop the flow of drugs to their country and even threaten Jamaica with sanctions, why can't Jamaica tell America to stop the flow of guns out of that country to Jamaica?
Another non-thinker wrote, "Americans will tell you that it's their constitutional right to own and carry weapons." But the non-thinker didn't have the courage to tell us that there is nothing in the constitution that says the owner of that gun cannot export it to another country without the proper and legal procedure.
Holland allows its citizens to posses five grams of weed in a public area or 30 grams in a private area, but its drugs policy doesn't give them the right to export it to another country, which is why sniffer dogs and metal detectors are at airports.
Another Americanised person wrote: "Pastor, with your twisted logic, you don't have the power to tell them to jump. They can, however, tell you how high to jump, and you better do so. Guns do not arrive on our shores by themselves. They are usually sent, shipped or taken here by criminal elements who are usually Jamaicans."
This person thinks that oppressing and dictating another country because it is poor is cool. But the honest truth is that some of these people who are commenting under the article are so oppressed by American systems and attitudes that they see no fault in the oppressive action dished out to other people and countries.
It doesn't matter if it is Jamaicans or Americans sending the guns to Jamaica. The point is that guns are coming into Jamaica illegally, which are detrimental to our citizens, and that is why the pastor called for the American Government to stop the illegal guns from entering Jamaica, just like how it wants the Jamaican Government to stop the flow of drugs from Jamaica to America, because it is detrimental to its citizens.
Each country has the responsibility to protect each other's citizens from harm. Once a legal gun is in a barrel destined for another country without the proper documents, then that gun becomes illegal and it is the duty of the departing country's government to stop that gun from entering another country. Preach on, pastor, preach on!
Hero Scott
herocarlito@yahoo.com
Examine what the pastor said
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For any society to grow, freedom of speech is very vital. The Jamaica Observer has never shied away for allowing people to voice their opinions, which, to me, is very important.
However, it is also important that some opinions are best kept out of the media because they serve no purpose. The Jamaica Observer carried a very good article headlined 'SDA pastor wants US Gov't to stem flow of guns into the island', but some of the responses from Americanised people to that article are utter poppycock. Some even mentioned the Second Amendment, which means a well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state and the right of the people to keep and bear arms.
Instead of ranting and throwing the pastor under the bus, we might want to examine closely what the pastor is saying. One person commented "First and foremost we are not citizens of America, so it isn't their job to protect us, it is, however, the job of our Jamaican Government to do so. Secondly, the possession of firearms is not considered illegal in America, as it is in our country".
This is utter nonsense. Is it Jamaica's job to protect America's citizens from weed, cocaine and other drugs coming out of Jamaica to that country? Should Jamaica turn a blind eye at its airports when drugs are heading to America?
If the Americans can tell Jamaica to do more to stop the flow of drugs to their country and even threaten Jamaica with sanctions, why can't Jamaica tell America to stop the flow of guns out of that country to Jamaica?
Another non-thinker wrote, "Americans will tell you that it's their constitutional right to own and carry weapons." But the non-thinker didn't have the courage to tell us that there is nothing in the constitution that says the owner of that gun cannot export it to another country without the proper and legal procedure.
Holland allows its citizens to posses five grams of weed in a public area or 30 grams in a private area, but its drugs policy doesn't give them the right to export it to another country, which is why sniffer dogs and metal detectors are at airports.
Another Americanised person wrote: "Pastor, with your twisted logic, you don't have the power to tell them to jump. They can, however, tell you how high to jump, and you better do so. Guns do not arrive on our shores by themselves. They are usually sent, shipped or taken here by criminal elements who are usually Jamaicans."
This person thinks that oppressing and dictating another country because it is poor is cool. But the honest truth is that some of these people who are commenting under the article are so oppressed by American systems and attitudes that they see no fault in the oppressive action dished out to other people and countries.
It doesn't matter if it is Jamaicans or Americans sending the guns to Jamaica. The point is that guns are coming into Jamaica illegally, which are detrimental to our citizens, and that is why the pastor called for the American Government to stop the illegal guns from entering Jamaica, just like how it wants the Jamaican Government to stop the flow of drugs from Jamaica to America, because it is detrimental to its citizens.
Each country has the responsibility to protect each other's citizens from harm. Once a legal gun is in a barrel destined for another country without the proper documents, then that gun becomes illegal and it is the duty of the departing country's government to stop that gun from entering another country. Preach on, pastor, preach on!
Hero Scott
herocarlito@yahoo.com
Examine what the pastor said
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