Dear Editor,

The Jamaica Labour Party ‘mussi tek people fi eediat’ with their desperate theatrical dramatics trying to bar Velma Hylton, QC, from the pending Tivoli commission of enquiry.

This is almost a repeat of the ‘Dudus’ enquiry, where the JLP made a fuss before consenting to participate after they found no way of escaping it.

So many years have passed since she made these comments during a similar enquiry about West Kingston, the same JLP constitutency, after an operation resulted in 27 deaths.

Has anyone picked up the trend?

Didn’t she, as commissioner, have a right to represent a view which shows the difficulty with which the police have to operate to maintain law and order? I see Ms Hylton’s views as only fair.

Every time something happens in West Kingston the JLP kicks up a ruckus and point fingers at everybody but themselves. Even when the public knows some of the truth, they try to pull a fast one with antics.

Now here’s a question: Were the police so unoccupied that they would lock down the whole of Kingston and wage ‘war’ with themselves? They must have been shooting for fun then. Or were they shooting at duppies?

Why would anyone, even Ms Hylton, intentionally and maliciously concoct such statements in a very serious situation if there wasn’t a grain of truth in it. What purpose would they achieve?

Hasn’t everyone realised that gunmen will do anything and always get the support of those they supposedly ‘protect’, whether forcibly or cooperatively.

Inner city dwellers are still people and deserve sympathy for their condition. But if persons and politicians always defend them when some do wrong Jamaica is in for trouble. We should just have to put up zinc fences ourselves.

Seeking to remove Ms Hylton on the basis of what was said donkey years ago and because the Opposition has visible and open wounds will prove no point.

Also, there is really no point to this commission of enquiry. It is only reinventing the wheel. How many more wake-up calls does Jamaica need? Why should we wait on someone else, the IMF or the same politicians to make changes when we can?

The JLP need to go do some introspection, ‘kibba’, and find something else to poke holes into.

Colette Campbell

rastarjamaica@yahoo.com