THE EDITOR, Sir:
WHEN THE news first surfaced about the seven young men who had been killed during a shoot-out with members of the police force, my initial reaction was "Seven one time"! Regardless of the circumstances, the death of seven human beings was cause for concern in my mind.
Later, when additional news emerged linking some of the dead men to the cold-blooded murder of the principal of a high school, and the murder most foul of a policeman and a civilian in a St. Catherine police station, like many other Jamaicans, I thought that though the number killed was high, perhaps the situation had warranted this extreme action by the security forces.
In the last few days, however, increasingly there have been comments in the media, and more importantly, written statements from journalists in both the Sunday Gleaner and the Sunday Herald, suggesting that there is more to the story. There are those who say that a number of these men were heard begging for mercy and in fact that one of the men killed had merely gone to investigate the cries coming from the house. These are extremely serious allegations and demand investigations at the highest level in the Force.
I have long held the view that capital punishment has no place in a civilised country. However, if gunmen openly challenge the security forces and are killed when the police or soldiers have no other option but to defend themselves, then though lamenting the death of anyone, despite their crimes, I would have to accept their demise as the consequence of "living by the sword".
But if policemen arrogate on to themselves, on my behalf, to murder one, two or seven men, regardless of the nature of their crimes, that is unacceptable, and should be condemned by all, even though we are all sick and tired of being terrorised by gunmen.
I do not know the true story of what took place at Braeton, but sufficient questions have been raised to warrant a full investigation and for those involved to be taken off frontline duties until the case is speedily brought to conclusion.
I have many patients whose lives have been profoundly affected by gunmen, and equally so I have many members of the security forces as patients, so I know, to a certain extent, the wickedness and ruthlessness of many who elect to drive terror into the heart of the nation.
However one of the hallmarks of a civilised state is the collective ability of the majority to prevent ourselves from allowing vengeance, fear and retribution to allow us to descend to the level of the minority who would wish to cause mayhem in a society.
Any day that we collectively give the police, regardless of the situation, licence to carry out extra-judicial killings, then we are digging our own graves. No, this one definitely does not sound right, and someone, the Minister or even the Prime Minister needs to act quickly to tell the nation if self-defence or murder was the reason why seven Jamaicans lost their lives at Braeton.
I am etc.,
Dr. LUCIEN W. JONES
E-mail: lucien29@hotmail.com
