Dear Editor,

Mario Deane’s family did well in not accepting the handouts. Kudos to you all for standing up for your beliefs.

How could the burial money being offered to compensate for the young man’s life; the grief, pain and loss the family is experiencing. Accepting money from the Government would be really laughable, as it would guarantee them a front row seat at the funeral looking all pompous, showing Jamaicans they did their fair share, meaning the end of their discussion with the family.

Too many of our young men die brutally under questionable circumstances involving the police, some not even guilty, and evidence gets muddled or have just gone missing.

We hear these stories daily. The facts need to be exposed. It matters not Mario’s station in life when he was incarcerated; he was supposed to be treated like a human being.

That right was snatched from him because he expressed dislike of the police force. Since we live in a democratic society we all have a right to express our opinions.

The sad reality stare us in the face that it might not have happened to someone from the upper echelons of society. Justice is needed at this time, and this will not be a nine-day talk then slowly die and be buried.

It is such a shame that overseas human rights lawyers have to intervene in this catastrophe, but a loved one was brutally murdered and those responsible must face the consequences.

A Moses

mokitchens@yahoo.com