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I read this article below about guns in Jamaica after a weekend where I came to see just how deep the love for guns and violence goes. I have noticed for quite some time the morbid fascination with guns and violence amongst many of the men and young boys here in Jamaica and its correlation to the music they listen to. Jamaican youth are consumed with violence and guns of any fashion and the music they listen to is loaded with the most violent lyrics. I’ve met many children in this country and many of them are good kids but they all have this weird love of guns, murder and death thats very unhealthy.

Most Jamaican youth greet each other or celebrate bravado with gun shot hand motions and verbal blasts such as “Pop, pop, pop” or “Blast him” and almost every musician in country promotes it at every music festival and concert on the island. I was shocked to see the Marley brothers so fast to cut loose some pops of their own. I don’t believe we should be glorifying guns or death and I especially think those of us in influential positions should lead by example. I think the Marley brothers owe it to Jamaica to point out the horrible reality of guns and violence and the pain and anguish it leads to.

The Jamaican gun man is a cultural icon both feared and celebrated by locals. Many “dons” or local crime bosses began as gunmen for hire and recent murders attest to the fact that Jamaicans never forget your past. Revenge murders and retribution take up a larger percentage of Jamaican crime statistics than most know about. Just two weeks back a local don was murdered in as hail of gunfire and the rumors are it was revenge for a past murder he committed as a youth. Jamaicans don’t seem to forget and I can attest to the fact they don’t let people get away with murder here. I think it’s a biblical to be honest. Eye for an eye is the rule of the streets in Jamaica so be careful what you do unto others or it shall be done unto you in return.

I had an experience with some younger kids here in Jamaica. One of them is 3 and he pretty much says or does what he hears his older brothers say. At 3 he knows more about guns, violence and murder than I did when I was 15. I asked him what he did in school one afternoon and his answer was “play gun games on Xbox” and I asked him why and he said “to kill de man dem” and I asked how he killed them and he said “with my AK dummy” and I asked him why he killed people and his answer was “cuz every man scare da gun man”.

The UN and Jamaica could try their best and they can never stop the guns from reaching those who really want them. if Jamaica is to come out of this violent trend then they must start by making the gun man a less glorious figure and point out the reality of the situation. The gun man is no friend and no one to be admired. Guns and violence are tools of the oppressors and its time for Jamaica to stand up against this oppression.

THE United Nations wants the Jamaican government to institute strict gun control regulations as a means of stemming the heavy inflow of guns and ammunition into the island.

In a joint press release issued by UNICEF and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)for the Global Week of Action against Gun Violence, the UN urged all stakeholders to increase their efforts to tackle the arms flow, and embark on a social intervention drive in order to curb the high rate of armed violence that has taken over the island.

UN tells Jamaica to ‘control’ the guns - JAMAICAOBSERVER.COM