I made reference in my article last week about the video of cowards killing a Chinese/Jamaican businessman in St Elizabeth in an armed robbery.

You may have realised how angry and bitter I am about the video and I make no apology for the hate I have ventilated towards the cowardly thugs.

The video is horrible as it is lays the foundation for so much discussion and debate about a plethora of subjects.

Let us start with the ever present, ever caustic debate on gun control. This video speaks volumes on the topic.

Firstly, the victim is a licensed firearm holder. He, however, was not armed at the time.

Well, a gun a mile away is as useful as a boat with holes. That being said, even if he had it the result would have been no different.

Why? Well, his back was turned to the attacker and he likely was dead before he knew he was under attack.

The brutality of this attack is almost certainly because the thugs felt he was armed because they knew he sometimes carried a gun. So they were taking no chances and killing him before he could’ve responded was their strategy.

This highlights the forgotten concept of how much danger you are in once you decide to carry a gun. Not only because persons will kill to steal it, but because of the escalated violence that is utilised once criminals who believe you have it engage you.

The Firearm Licensing Authority (FLA) often speaks of the ability to protect the gun. This is an example of what they mean.

A licensed firearm can put you in more danger than if you didn’t have one if it is known you have it and if you don’t take precautions that become very relevant once owning it.

I would advise you, stop buying these large pistols you can’t conceal, and if you buy one, accept you are a target. Therefore you have to operate differently than you did pre big gun ownership.

This brings me to my second point. Who set up the security plan for this business establishment?

The cashier’s back is to the door. He can’t see who is coming. Why isn’t the register behind some form of barrier?

The ideal scenario would be for the operator to not be accessible. There are a few ways this can be done with bullet resistant glass or plate metal, but it’s rarely done.

It, however, is necessary, and even more-so if you’re carrying a gun.

If there is a chance that your family will have to live with a memory that the victim in the videos family has to, then I suggest a remodeling of your store.

The third issue that presents itself is how useless a camera is at preventing a robbery or a murder.

The public has been sold this rubbish from some genius that cameras can replace human security officers and the pill has been swallowed hook, line and sinker.

The camera can assist as an investigative tool. It is very helpful to prevent staff theft, but it’s not real security. Even as an investigative tool it has limitations.

We know that two-legged humans did the murder. We can’t identify persons from it and it certainly doesn’t meet the standard for evidential use.

Fourthly, the video brings into question the Jamaican dream. I know you have heard of the American dream but trust me, there is a Jamaican dream out there too. If not, why would persons migrate from Asia here?

Chinese immigrants come from a society in which there exists a very small threat of death from criminals.

They may not be free to vote for their government, or to air their views, but being slaughtered like an animal, by animals like the ones on the video, is not likely. Almost impossible actually.

Therefore there must be a perception of safety and dignity for persons who travel here — that they can practice their religion, educate their children, work and operate a business, basically live like a human being and be treated like one.

Like I said in an earlier article, being shot by a tyrannical gang is no more comfortable than being shot by a tyrannical government.

Have we short changed the citizens of countries we invite to invest here?

Is the Jamaican dream a farce. Can we fix this?

Well, firstly, accept that carrying a gun comes with risks.

Cash registers need to be less accessible to the public, and the cashier, more so, must be less accessible.

Stop replacing security officers with cameras. Use the cameras to compliment your security detail, not replace it.

Put armed personnel in a place where there exists a physical barrier between them and would-be attackers, or they will be targeted just like the Asian victim.

Money must be difficult to steal because of infrastructure, not because of human effort.

A gun is not a suitable defence tool in places with high human traffic.

This robbery, whether it was motivated by money or the licensed firearm, occurred because both were perceived to be accessible.

Remove that element of ease, there will be less violence.

Finally, educate immigrants on our reality. The reality that the free society we offer them comes at a cost to their personal security.

That any measure to subjugate killers are challenged by politicians, attorneys and criminal rights activists, that lives of victims are secondary considerations to the rights of killers.

Give them the full handbook on our realty.

Trust me, they will still come, because persons who have been deprived of freedom will swim oceans to experience it.

It is only when they are burying their dead will that chilling voice in their head chime in with the haunting words: “Is freedom really worth this? Is this really freedom?”

Feedback: drjasonamckay@gmail.com