THE EDITOR, Sir:
THERE IS a great deal of division in our country and this is done on the base of a class structure. Just recently I read a letter from Martin Luther King Jr. which he wrote while he was in jail.
I am tempted to say that what existed at that time in US is very similar to what exists now in Jamaica. During MLK's lifetime he had to be concerned about a state which encouraged thoughts of one set of humans being inferior to another set.
In Jamaica today the very same is happening. We have a government that agitates so that it appears that the rich are of much more significance than the poor. This is clearly seen by the statements that are immediately made after someone considered to be 'high class' gets killed. On the other hand seven of our youths are slain and it takes a great uproar to get people within the government to give a statement. This statement in effect when it is made is made clearly for political gain.
Actions like these encourage one to think that the heads of state place greater value on the life of the rich than the poor. This should not be so.
In his letter MLK also condemns the church for their willingness to sit back and allow the human rights abuses to take place. I believe that had he been alive and in Jamaica he could have said the same of the church today. There is a sense in which the church waits on time to determine all things and thus do not speak out against issues that deeply affect citizens of this country. This is contrary to the Early Church, and indeed to Christ. The Church has to be a strong and firm voice especially on matters of morality.
Another of the issues the MLK spoke about was the use of a just law in an unjust way. Again the government is guilty of this as well as using the security forces to abuse the rights of the 'inferior class'.
There needs to be a drastic change and like MLK I am beginning to think that it might have to come through a non-violent revolution.
I am etc.,
MARK CLARKE
E-mail:
ma2rk@hotmail.com]
