Dear Editor,

It has been a week since a lone gun man went into the church, shooting and killing of James Johnson. This is a tragedy no one saw coming; a call I would have rejected had I known it was the news of his death.

I am still confused about why he is being made the villain… just another example of the ways we find to blame victims. There has been numerous speculations about James, a young man who I knew to be full of life and had so many dreams and hopes for Jamaica.

I wish I had just a little of his hope, just maybe I would have remained in Jamaica, just maybe I might have been the next victim and be talked about like my life didn’t matter.

But to many, James mattered. He was caring, kind, thoughtful and a great friend.

So many flocked social media, scrutinising James for wearing lip balm in what appeared to be a professionally taken photograph— both seemingly indicative of some deviant sexuality; positions articulated in ways that appear to justify his untimely death. I say shame on you!

Rather than try to assist the police with locating the perpetrator of this gruesome crime, we are concerned about who James was in his private life and who he might have loved.

The comments are documented evidence of hate speech and the kind of thinking that only serves to keep us as citizens and as human beings behind. This kind of thinking only demonstrates our own depravity and how malicious we are as a people.

I have to caution myself each time I open my Facebook or Instagram accounts. I have logged out of Twitter because it hurts so much to see the hurtful commentary.

James was a friend, he was a brother, an uncle and a son! Don’t you think his family misses him and are deeply impacted by his untimely passing? Show some respect and be a better citizen.

Again, shame on you!

Elton McDuffus