The Editor, Sir:

I felt really saddened by the article in The Sunday Gleaner, 9/11/08, re: the parliamentarians position on hanging. Some 150 Jamaicans are being murdered every month. Women and children have been abducted and raped.

The prime minister promised to resume hanging, but he is now asking Parliament to give him permission to enforce a law that is already on the books, and which he and his colleagues are duty-bound to uphold.

He is waiting on his colleagues, while his colleagues are waiting for their constituents, who elected them to lead, to tell them how to lead. They are also waiting for a perfect justice system where there is no possibility of a wrong person being found guilty through circumstances or through the actions of corrupt or misguided cops or other citizens. There is not now, nor has there ever been, nor will there ever be such a perfect system in Jamaica or in any other country. In any fight for freedom, security and justice, there will always be collateral damage.

It is the duty of these parliamentarians (leaders?) to ensure that the incidence of wrongful convictions are minimised through better police and policing, better prosecution; appropriate punishment for perjury irrespective of how long after the event such perjury is exposed. Anyone who wilfully caused the conviction of another through false evidence, should be made to suffer.

If our elected leaders are afraid to lead, is it any wonder that the 'dons' are filling the vacuum in the communities? When will the elected leaders stop vacillating and act? How many more will have to die, be abducted and/or raped?

I am, etc.,

WAYNE McKENZIE

JahJahSee@gmail.com

Red Hills PO

Kingston

Via Go-Jamaica