Bounty Killer - file

THE EDITOR, Sir:

I refer to the front-page story on Monday's Star 'Killer, Mavado Anger Mobay: DJs chided for 'bigging up' Stone Crusher Gang'. The story said Mavado 'recognised' the notorious Stone Crusher Gang in his performance at a show in Montego Bay on Saturday night. The story also claims Bounty Killer told patrons "police have dem work fi do and bad man have dem ting fi do". I sincerely hope that the DJ was misquoted and he's now preparing to launch a campaign to clear his name.

If those words or similar ones came out of his mouth, then every law-abiding, civic-minded, peace-loving Jamaican should never listen to anything else Bounty Killer has to say. Every radio station should ban his music, every record store should refuse to sell anything with his name on it, and every selector should shelve his tunes. Corporate entities with whom he has endorsement deals should cancel them. Parish councils should refuse permits for shows on which he is scheduled to appear. The whole country should send Bounty Killer and Mavado a strong message: We do not support murderers or those who 'big them up'.

Free speech is an important part of any democracy, but people shouldn't be allowed to get up in a public place and endorse the actions of baby-killers. Our entertainers know they are role models for our young people, which gives them a certain amount of power. They, therefore, have a responsibility to use that power for good, and not to legitimise gunmen and their deadly actions.

The Stone Crusher, like other criminal gangs, have unleashed terror on many communities and left many children fatherless, motherless and in jeopardy of becoming the thing we all fear the most, another generation of heartless monsters. Bounty Killer, Mavado, how dare you salute them!

I am, etc.,

S.W.S.

Kingston