BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – AN upsurge in gun-related activity over the past weeks has been realised in Cayon and the Parliamentary Representative for that area – the Hon. Eugene Hamilton – has issued an appeal to the young men to seek alternative ways of resolving their issues.
Hamilton made the appeal earlier this week (May 5) at a public meeting held by the People’s Action Movement (PAM) in Cayon.
“…I should not go any further unless I say a word to the young people in Cayon. This constituency here is made up of people from Ottley’s Village all the way to Bayfords, and the one place in my constituency that appears to be getting out of hand is my own hometown of Cayon...the truth is, if you think the way to end a dispute is to take the life of another, then you all are wrong. You will not get that kind of support from me…”
In offering advice to the misguided individuals, who are of the view that the best way to settle their disputes is through the use of firearms or violence, Hamilton suggested a more humane approach.
“The way to resolve disputes is to come together and talk and discuss. The Bible has a recipe you know. It says first you go to the man and speak to him and when he doesn’t hear, you talk to the wider family; and when they still don’t hear, you talk to the wider community. That is how the Bible says to treat it when things are going wrong; you talk, talk and more talk. And then when you finish, if all heads can’t come together and resolve, of course, the ball is in the air.
“But the first thing is to pull a trigger? End the life of another man? A young man? Do you all understand how many offsprings you have killed with that young man; people who should be allowed to work to pay the pension of the same people who grow old?”
In pleading with these individuals, Hamilton reiterated that “there is a better way to resolve a dispute than to pull that trigger”.
