With Barbados recording two more murders in the past week and police talking about a breakthrough in last month’s St George double-murder, crime has understandably been the hot topic for our online readers.
While some called for the death penalty to be enforced, others questioned whether putting criminals to death was an appropriate punishment.
Many readers praised the Royal Barbados Police Force for its hard work in crime-solving.
Here are some of the edited comments made by our online readers:
Andrew Headley: Police said they made a breakthrough in the St George double-murder. Great job, guys! What will the system do? Mr Government, you say no hanging, so what is in store for those fellows? Ten years in prison with meals and CXC courses so you can say you put them out with a skill? Give the people some justice. Stop making the cops work in vain. People in Barbados want to be peaceful in the comfort of their own homes.
Leonard Bee: I also supported hanging and other forms of the death penalty for many years. However, as I became older (and hopefully wiser), I now question whether it is in fact the most effective deterrent . . . . When I think of the savage manner in which some murders are committed and compare that to the death penalty, I believe that the death penalty pales in comparison . . . . I am inclined to think that severe punishment and hard labour will hurt more. If I severely flog a person every morning and night, put them to work all day long, and subject them to no TV, access to friends and family and feed them less sumptuous food, I believe that they will suffer much more.
Claire Battershield: . . . . It infuriates me that you can take a man’s or woman’s life and then a lawyer will stand and defend a murderer. It’s amazing that we shun people that have HIV/AIDS but embrace these murderers . . . .
Our fete and get-rich mentality has to end. We as a people need to be educated and re-educated or else the tourist industry which we spend so heavily on will be no more. Our streets and homes will not be safe.
Some Barbadians also expressed alarm that more teens were eating at the Salvation Army (a report which THE NATION carried).
Here are some of their comments:
Kenneth King: I am always in favour of taking care of the needy but we have a trend with young people who just have no interest in work whatsoever. Things tight at the moment but still there are lots of alternatives where young men can make an honest living . . . .
Pan Wallie: The policy of the Salvation Army must include some sort of screening or means testing in conjunction with the social services.
Some of those who appear to be needy are a far cry from such and this relates to all ages, not only the youth. . . .