Dear Editor,

When I was attending Carron Hall All Age in St Mary, first and foremost every morning we used to have our school devotion. And, at noon, before the students were let out of their classrooms for lunch break, the entire school would give thanks to God, in prayer, for their food. Similarly, in the evenings, before we were dismissed for our homes all classes would stand and recite the evening prayer.

But, in these modern times, it’s a different kettle of fish. Many schools do not see the value of having morning devotions on a regular basis or they underrate it and leave it till later in the day.

There are no loopholes when it comes to showing reverence for God. The late Jacob Miller said this in one of his songs: “A chapter a day will keep the devil away.” And the devil has surely been let loose in Jamaica.

I am calling upon God, not the Government or the powers that be, to make it possible for every school in Jamaica to have devotions every single day, in the mornings and afternoons, for the protection of the teachers and students when they arrive at school and before they leave to go home.

I am also asking God, not the powers that be, to clamp down on the violent music and the lewd lyrics played in public spaces, on radio stations, and on public transportation, in this crime-polluted nation, which have had a massive negative impact on our society and young people.

When will Jamaican people wake up and realise that we live in a country which is a battlefield overrun with violent and dirty music? Just like the great cricketer Michael Holding said, “Black lives matter”; likewise, we need to accept and tell these dog-hearted murderers that our lives matter.

Donald McKoy

donaldmckoy77@gmail.com