It is 2009 and it seems as if everyone is asking for the same things - stop the killing and be kinder to our children. Check it - every time a series of vox pops are done, that is the prime issue on people's minds [along with wanting to be rich!].

My Friend P says it can't be a coincidence, so all the wishes must be sincere and since every soul in the island is asking for it, God most certainly has heard and our prayers must be answered.

Right? Maybe.

Nothing new

Except murder and mayhem of the most evil sort is nothing new in Jamaica, including the snuffing out of the lives of the young and old. The '200 and Hate' executions did have their own brand of causticity to them, though, that makes us wonder what people were sniffing.

But that some people are just noticing how evil Jamaica can be, is unfortunate. Truth is that although many people have been praying for change for years, the outcome is not, as many might think, proof that there is no God. Rather, it is proof that we are indeed responsible for answering our own prayers.

Nothing happens merely because we ask God for it, but because we create the environment; we create the womb for the things that we want to be born. So, if indeed it is that the majority of our people truly want an end to crime and violence, then going to church to holler about it is hardly going to be enough.

How many National Prayer Breakfasts have we had now? Too many to count, and it underscores our point that prayer is not the answer. The answer lies in a change of action, so here are a few actionable resolutions for our white-collar hypocrites, especially those going off to pray at that National Prayer thing that is going to be done again this year. [finger in throat arrrgh].

No cheating

1. Resolve not to bribe the cop so that you don't get a traffic ticket. (Taking the ticket to your big police friend is just as bad as giving the beat cop the money, by the way)

2. Resolve to take your car (And this is for all of corporate Jamaica who lay claim to socially responsible actions) physically to get its fitness test, rather than just the papers to be stamped by your contact inside.

3. Resolve to speak up! So, you know the man who broke into your neighbour's house, because you witnessed the crime. Go and tell the cops!

4. Resolve to have the kids in you neighbourhood show respect and learn the forgotten art of manners. They have forgotten it because adults have decided that it is okay, cool and modern for them to behave like uncouth 'kruffs'. It is not!

5. Resolve not to ignore your neighbour's screams for help. Tomorrow it will be you screaming.

6. Resolve to teach one person, young or old, about the joys of reading. Education is going to be our saviour, eventually.

Six simple, and you might think, unrelated elements to the wave of violence engulfing our lives. But they are not, because it is the small crimes that make the large ones explainable and acceptable. Trust me.

Email comments to: myfriendp@hotmail.com

How many National Prayer Breakfasts have we had now? Too many to count, and it underscores our point that prayer is not the answer. The answer lies in a change of action...