The Observer’s website is the hottest spot these days for readers’ comments on major news stories. In That’s Just My View, the Sunday Observer presents a taste of these online views on one of the biggest stories of last week:

More J’cans said fleeing America

. If hard work and big bill no kill yuh in America, the food will. Mi a go back a yard. Jamaaaaiiiiiicaaaaaaaaa laaaaannnndd wwwweeeeeee loooovvveee. – bunny

. I had heard the streets of America were paved with Gold! It was not until I got there that I realised it was I who was scheduled to be doing the paving…” – fly on the wall

. Bwoy nuh matter wat, I would advise people not to run off, it is not nice to be looking over your shoulder every second. Work your money and come home, because at the end of the day, no weh nuh better than yard. Mi travel four times on the ministry programme, and when I come back and go to the US embassy, dem no give mi the visa. Well, dem can keep it. Jamaica a fi mi yard. – Suckey

. What are they going back to Jamaica to do? Murder, thief and break into people shop and homes? – c craig

. Come back home my brothers and sisters, contrary to what the haters preach, a warm welcome awaits you. Inspite of the best efforts of politicians to destroy the last shred of credibility and respectability, Jamaica remains – lick him down, pick him up, him bounce right back! What a hard man fi dead!

If you are honest and hardworking, you will survive and thrive and become an asset to Jamaica land we love. The US of A’s loss is Jamaica’s gain. – Carbo

. America is NOT for everybody – Sandokhan

. As I read this article, it pains my heart, but it’s the truth. I’m here legally and I’m having a hard time getting by in the “land of opportunity”. It’s really a pity that crime and violence is so rampant in Ja. That’s the only thing that is preventing me from returning home. I came to the USA in the 80’s with intention to work hard and enjoy the fruit of my labour. And enjoyment is far from being materialised. I hope we will be able to live in peace again in Ja as we all will benefit from it.

– Lorenzo Anderson

. America is no longer the land of milk and honey. Twenty-Six million Americans are unemployed and that number is growing everyday. According to the news, the US dollar is soon to be replaced as the reserve currency of the world. China, Russia, Japan, and OPEC countries are seeing to that. When dat tek place a dat time u gwine see hardship in America! Congress is preparing to serve the sauce, that ‘s what the Immigration reform is all about… Immigrants – legal and illegal – go home. It happen to Jamaicans in Grand Cayman after they were hit by a hurricane. – Junie

. The recent Observer article that I saw of the Jamaican mother, “I want my son back”, is an example of how this country hate Jamaicans, because many of us are achievers, religious, with high educational standards for our children with an envied culture. Yes I concur, nowhere is better than yard. Them can even keep them dutty cold weather… It’s a shame the type of inferior education their public schools offer. But then again a country far from God, what can be expected? – Esteem

. And for those of you who are NOT Jamaicans, have NEVER been to Jamaica, hardly UNDERSTAND the Jamaican dialect. GET OFF THIS FORUM. Why won’t you leave us alone to argue amongst ourselves and solve our own problems? My God – I have never been able to understand your obsessive preoccupation with Jamaicans and our business! Even when we don’t remember you – you remember us. – Lee

. I went to Jamaica and my friend was buying some US dollars from me to send to America to her cousin to help pay her rent. I could not believe it! – sonja

. The argument is simple, those who are legal and enjoy being in America please stay. For those who are illegal and don’t think it’s worth it, go home; Jamaica will accept you. It’s the land of your birth. – Mr Wright

. Illegal Jamaican immigrants are the whiniest group of people that I’ve ever met. They think the world should be handed to them on a silver platter. – Donald

. There are some Jamaicans who believe that life is a bed of roses and that the grass is greener in America! It’s not America’s fault that some silly illegal immigrants believe that old fable… In life, you have to make your own bed. It’s about the effort and work that you put into bettering your own country. Stop complaining about other people’s country and fix yours! – Jose

. America is not a bed of roses. To think anywhere is a bed of roses is to stay naive! But America is not as deprived and murderous as Jamaica any way you try to justify it! – Peter

. Come back home to what? Even if you put crime out of the equation (which you can’t) there are no jobs in Jamaica! – Reality

. Your article refers to Jamaicans, but due to the current economic crisis, there are people of every nationality returning to the country of their birth. People follow jobs, jobs do not follow people, and when there are no jobs this is the result. Small businesses are carrying the majority of the economic burden, they are the ones that hired these employees whom they eventually had to lay off. At the end of the day, whether we have jobs, are citizens, residents or illegals, hopefully we will be able to survive in this world of ours, because the pie is getting much smaller. – MP

. Excellent article, Ingrid Brown. I have seen this same struggle in Canada with some Jamaicans. Many find themselves in temporary shelter. Many are afraid to come home because they have nothing. After all, the grass is not that greener on the other side. – Joie

. Sorry for those without papers. I came and did the live-in work without a social life, save my dollars, bought my home and cars here. In the last ten years we have three lovely houses in America, two residential properties, one commercial residential property and two commercial development lots in the town of Jamaica. When social time is available, I went to school at 54 years. I am doing my masters and the youger children are now heading for college. Every year we head out to Jamaica for three weeks. Guess what, at one of our country homes we have a huge cultivation with scotch bonnet peppers, yam, plantain, sugar cane, bananas, pineapples, oranges, you name it, goats, pigs, sheep. In God we trust, America home of the brave. God bless Jamaica land we love. – Mary

. I can sit here and type all day about this topic… but I have to earn a living to support my family here in the States and back home in JA. Make the most of your life… be a go-getter… Don’t wait on anyone or any country to hand out jobs. Wherever it is go get it. – Kimayoung

Compiled by Desmond Allen, executive editor – operations

allend@jamaicaobserver.com