THE EDITOR, Madam:
I read Delroy Chuck's letter to the Editor with a great deal of pain and acknowledgement of the truth of which he wrote.
I am a 30 -year-old student living abroad. I graduated eight years ago from the University of the West Indies with an honours degree in political science.
For the past seven years, I have worked and lived (between jobs) in my country.
My case has never been been one of the typical wanderer who does not know what he wants, but more so of a young graduate who faced with the grave realities of corruption, "friendism" and nepotism, especially within the public sector, who chose to stand up for ideals of efficiency and democracy and face the consequences of being fired or simply walk out of an organisation that is literally too corrupt to even eat in.
With my mature sensitivity of the problems in my country, and with the youthful fear of surviving amidst them, I have lived in utter dismay and sometimes shock at the wanton disregard for nationhood and the selfish manner in which the best of our fellow Jamaicans in executive positions chose to lead and serve their fellow Jamaicans.
They rape the resources of the country and kill their brothers and sisters over the scarce resources, then they usually leave for other countries when they look behind and realise the bareness of the places they had raped.
I read The Gleaner every day with dismay and with a consciousness that, unless the people who have the talent, resources and positions to do a correct job, do so, I am going to return to a country worse that the one I left eight months ago.
Every country has its problems. Jamaica's problems are not unique, they can be helped but we need professional, honest and capable people. Where are these people, how are they made, how can we identify them.
These people are in every one of us. We need to recognise that. We need to confront those desires that causes us to lie, to cheat, to disregard the laws to satisfy these demands. We can exercise discipline in all walks of life.
In eight months, I will return with hope to my country, to live within my resources, to economise within my budget, to acknowledge the public good as property of my country and my people and not my private property, to learn to live with my brother in peace and unity and learn that if I work hard and sacrifice today, my four-year-old son, my nieces and nephews will come to live and benefit from the legacies I am going to leave behind.
I have no other choice like Mr. Chuck. Jamaica is my homeland, that is where I want to be buried. So I remind you corrupt politicians, drug dons, idlers, drunkards, lazy Jamaicans I am coming home.
Those of you who are not prepared to work hard with me to build my country economically, socially and politically leave before I return. If you want to stay with me you are welcome but be prepared to work hard.
I am etc,
'JAMAICAN'
