An open letter to the Government of the British Virgin Islands
Letter to the Editor - Monday, March 19th, 2012 at 2:35 AM
Letter writer: "As legislators, you were elected to lead. You have the power unlike ordinary citizens to amend the laws. I urge you to go into the House of Assembly sooner rather than later, and keep that promise." * Photo credit: John Black
Friday morning, we all awoke to shocking and very sad news of yet again another person having lost their life to gun violence in these once beautiful, peaceful, and relatively non-violent islands we hold dear and call Natures Little Secret. Kwanna Todd Rhymer, was just the latest in an unfortunate growing and long list of victims of gun violence over the years, gun violence that was once unheard of and unthinkable.
Over many years, the list of incidents and the list of victims who have either been injured or killed by guns, many whose cases remain unsolved, has gotten simply unacceptably too long. And this is all the more shocking in a country where the possession of a gun is illegal. It’s time to amend the laws relative to illegal guns, and introduce mandatory minimum sentences for those caught with illegal guns and, those who use guns in the commission of crimes.
Latest murder victim, Kwanna Todd Rhymer
It’s time to introduce the Violent Crime Reduction Bill you promised during your recent election and documented in your manifesto. It’s simply time to act overall with a comprehensive crime reduction and prevention strategy which also addresses the frequent burglaries that are plaguing the territory, and to engage the National Security Council in that effort.
As legislators, you were elected to lead. You have the power unlike ordinary citizens to amend the laws. I urge you to go into the House of Assembly sooner rather than later, and keep that promise. I also urge the four members of the Opposition to support such legislation. Honorable Andrew Fahie, a victim of gun violence himself, I would like to urge him to perhaps take an active and leading role in co-sponsoring such legislation given his own experience with gun violence.
This gun violence that we have been witnessing is unraveling the once beautiful fabric of our society, and will become a cycle of violence if we do not act now. There will be those who feel the need for retribution and seek to arm themselves. There will be those who will become afraid and see guns as an answer for their own protection. And then there is the growing gang culture among our youth for which guns are a natural part. We cannot allow this country to descend into a cycle of gun violence.
In my generation of yesterday, when we had conflicts amongst ourselves, we resorted to a few big fists, threw a few stones at each other, tried to grab a two by four if we could find one to land a few blows on our adversary, curse some bad words, and thereafter went about our business even if we stayed mad at each other for a while. Those days are long gone. We are living in a different era now, and it’s time we get ahead of the curve to deal with today’ realties.
As such, I will like to specifically recommend the following mandatory sentences for discussion and consideration, but even if these specific recommendations are not adopted, I would hope that they stir a debate and discussion on this much needed amendment to the law, and any future legislation relative to gun possession and gun violence will cover the broad areas I am listing.
1. A mandatory minimum of a 10 year prison term for certain felonies, or attempted felonies in which the offender possesses a firearm or destructive device.
2. A mandatory minimum of a 5 year prison term for illegal gun possession.
3. A mandatory minimum of 20 year prison term when the firearm is discharged.
4. A mandatory minimum of 25 years to LIFE if someone is injured or killed.
5. A mandatory minimum of 3 year prison term for possession of a firearm by a felon, and
6. Mandates that the minimum prison term is to be served consecutively to any other term of imprisonment imposed.
Now, I am not naïve to think that the introduction of such legislation will solve all gun crimes nor should you, but such legislation has been proven to reduce the incidence of gun violence in other countries, and I am confident it can have a similar affect here. Even if it deters one person from committing a crime using a gun, such legislation would have been well served. There will always be a determined person to use a gun in the commission of a crime, but the message must be sent loud and clear to such persons that the British Virgin Islands will have zero tolerance for gun crimes or crime in general.
The judicial and justice systems has to be enabled and prepared to deal with such persons swiftly and firmly, and the families and surviving victims of such violence must know that should they be the victim of gun violence that they have the law on their side, and there will be swift and uncertain justice.
We cannot afford to be soft on crime in this day in age. Doing so will have devastating consequences for our entire society. It’s already doing so. A perception that it’s neither safe to live, visit, or do business in the British Virgin Islands will wreck havoc on the economy and our way of life as we once knew it. As I see it, we are already behind the curve on curtailing this troubling problem with increasing gun violence. It’s time to get ahead of the curve. I support all those who have called for mandatory minimums relative to gun possession and when they are used in the commission of crimes. I join the efforts of the Road Town Anti Crime Group, and all others who advocate similar mandatory sentences for gun possession and those who use them to commit crimes.
Every time I hear or read of another person being killed by a gun or robbed/burglarized in these otherwise beautiful islands, the sense of safety and security I once had dies slowly along with them. I want to remain hopeful about living my life in peace and safety as I grow older in this place where my umbilical cord was cut and buried, but I must admit, I am beginning to lose faith. I want this place to be safe for all. As such, I urge this government, which has the power to amend the laws to do so relative to gun possession and gun violence, followed by an aggressive and sustained public awareness campaign to make the public aware of the new law. Let’s not have anymore Kwanna Todd Rhymers if we can help it. Let’s get some legislation in place again sooner rather than later which will address this growing problem once and for all.
To those who share my view, I urge you to contact your legislators, and urge them to support such legislation. In doing so, you might just be saving your own life or that of a family member or friend tomorrow. To those who currently have guns, or think of using or obtaining one, I wish to simply urge you to give up the gun and try to resolve your conflicts differently. It takes a real man/woman to walk away from conflict. Additionally, violence begets violence. If you start it, chances are someone else will finish it. Nothing good comes from the barrel of a gun.
Finally, to the family of the latest victim of gun violence, Kwanna Todd Rhymer, I extend my sincere condolence to you on her lost, and I trust the current laws in place will do her justice. May she RIP.
To the government of the B.V.I., I thank you for your consideration in advance. The time has come to act; please do.
Ray
This article was posted in its entirety as received by bvinews.com. This media house does not correct any spelling or grammatical error within press releases and commentaries. The views expressed therein are not necessarily those of bvinews.com, its sponsors or advertisers.
26 Comments
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I believe that what Ray is saying is a good idea, but I dont feel guns are the problem, because like what another blogger said “guns dont kill people ..people kill people”. I feel the real issue is the young men here. I dont know if many of you hangout much here, but I do hangout all over the island. There are some young men here that dont seem intrested in getting a job. They are always on a corner hanging out begging for money/drink etc. These same guys are the ones that turn to commit crimes because they want an iphone /black berry whatever. I feel the govt needs to really try harder to get some more programs or something for these young people, because I only see the situation getting worst.. so to gun laws yes.. but it is a combination of strategies that is needed to change what is happening here.
they need to reinstate the death penalty. too many innocent is being shot down and the criminals is still up in balsam ghut eating and drinking to the finest.
@really you have hit the nail directly on the head. It is most definately not the thought of serving jail time that deters an individual from committing a crime it is their thought feelings emotions at that given time. Emotions such as revenge hatred greed. Now that Ray is the facts look it up. Review the journals
To Ray,
I do agree entirely that we need to implement mandatory sentencing for all gun possession cases. However, I think your numbers may be a little skewed.
I believe the penalties should be:
Simple Gun Possession – (combined with no other crime committed):
First offense – automatic 3 years in prison
Second offense – automatic 5 years
Third offense – automatic 15 years with no chance of parole
Possession of a gun or any other offensive weapon (knife or machete) during the commission of a crime:
First offense – automatic 10 years in prison
Second offense – automatic 15 years
Third offense – automatic 20 years with no chance of early parole
Discharging a gun or using any other offensive weapon against other persons during the commission of a crime:
First offense – automatic 15 years in prison
Second offense – automatic 20 years
Third Offense – automatic 25 years with no chance of parole
First degree (intentional) murder using any weapon or undue force:
25 years to life with no chance of parole
The way I see it is somebody murders a person, the victim is dead for good. The victim has no chance of parole from their sentence, so why should the SOB who murdered them have get parole? There are often mitigating circumstances in many murder cases, but not always. That’s why we have first, second and third degree murder.
Based on the information in this article, it sounds to me as though Mr. Tyson committed first degree murder. The coldest and most calculating of all offenses towards another human being. He didn’t just shoot Kwanna once, he made sure she wouldn’t survive and shot her a second time in the stomach after shooting her in the neck. How could a man like that ever deserve to see the light of day again? In a case like this, I believe the death penalty is warranted.
I also believe there should be an automatic $25,000.00 reward for information leading to the arrest and successful conviction of anyone importing or in possession of illegal firearms. If the police can’t find the bad guys, maybe we can get them to rat each other out for the reward!
To Vislander: “Responsible citizens” who feel the need to get a gun can apply for a license. ANY unlicensed gun is illegal and I don’t care who you are, if you are caught with an illegal weapon, you should be sentenced to a mandatory jail sentence. Period! What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.
WHEN THE EMOTIONS DIE DOWN AND REALITY HITS,THEN WE WILL SEE IF YOU WILL SAY THE SAME THING. ONCE YOUR COUSIN NEPHEW NIECE UNCLE COUSIN SON DAUGHTER GETS INVOLVED, IF YOU WILL TALK THE SAME WAY. PLUS THE SAME PERSON IS NOT COMMITING THE CRIME EVERY TIME. ITS THE ANOTHER PERSON LOST BALANCE AND DID IT. NO POLICE NO LAW CAN STOP THE MURDERS. IF I DECIDE TO KILL, YOU THINK FEAR OF LAW WILL STOP ME? MURDER HAS A PLACE IN LIFE.IF I PERCEIVE SOME ONE DID HORRIBLY WRONG TO ME, YOU THINK I AM GOING TO POLICE? I WILL TAKE LAW INTO MY OWN HANDS AND DO WHAT I SHOULD DO. POLICE BUSINESS COMES LATER.
YOU ARE SUCH AN IGNORANT FOOL!
I wouldn’t say ignorant she is being REAL…anyone that has a family member or someone very close to them hurt or died because of crime…YOU WILL want to take justice into your own hands. Cain KILLED abel in COLD BLOOD dor all you Bible zealots. THAT WAS THE FIRST MURDER IN HUMAN HISTORY we learned. So murder DOES have a place in society be a PROVOCATIVE THINKER not a robot.
my condolences to the family of that young lady ,what we as a community have to realize is that gun don’t kill people ,people is who killing people yes i know u must be saying that i am talking nonsence , but lets look at put a gun on the ground an tell it go kill tommy or jack tom that gun can’t move unless some take it and use it, its all started with ourself emotion our attitude toward others , respect other opinion it all started at home , the bible say train up a child in the way of the lord and when he is old he will not depart from it, OUR IN HOUSE life style as perant is not in line with OUR OUTSIDE LIFE STYLE meaning at home we behave like animal, fighting, curseing ,calling each other names and trust me the kids is looking and taking it all in, the bible said dead and life is in the power of the tongue so u callin ur sons and dougther bad name well wat do u expected u allready call it in there spirit so we as perants have to be carefull in wat we are callin our kids
Although I agree that sOmething needs to be done why good is a mandatory sentence if you. Ever get caught? Guns are illegal :s but they still exsist crimes happen rarely solved so yeah the real criminals mind set stays as “I been getting away a few of us get caught I’ll roll the dice today”
making u serve more years for having guns is not going to change nothing it only makes the criminals more wise to it.Most major crimes are done by persons that are not even from There you need to set up a policies to stop allowing them from coming into the country like background check from the country.Locals are arming themselves because the crimes are not being solved and no wants to be a next statistic u need to talk to the local people and ask opinions to get to the bottom of things.
I personally think that each issue should be treated as a seperate issue.
And I do not believe in mandatory sentencing b/c there are responsible citizens who may need to have guns too.
And there will be killings without giuns just as in those “back in my day” stories there were killings as well.
Responsible citizen or not, it is illegal to own and or possess a gun in the BVI
I admire your sentiments, Ray. But the problem in the BVI has never been our laws – it is our enforcement. Although they made a swift arrest in the most recent murder, detection rates are still fairly low in the BVI. Cases take years to bring to trial. Our prosecutors are ill-prepared and often unmotivated. New laws won’t change any of this. Real improvements and culture change in the police and DPP are needed.
It may sound inhumane but I think we need to consider bringing back the death penalty. The value of life seems to have little meaning to some. Let persons consider a person’s life to be valued the same as theirs and see if the violence continues to increase.
The death penalty will not re-instated unless we moved from under UK laws. It is a good idea, but we are governed by UK laws, as they are the ones who are responsible for its removal.
I think we need to implement jungle justice. It’s cheaper and less stressful on the victim’s family,the courts and the territory’s budget. Just read recently that in a particular country, criminals now are thinking twice before commiting their deeds, especially in public, since one of their colleague’s crime was blotched. Bystanders and witnesses beat him to death in public and then called the police. The police praised the people for their help; no lawyers, no court date and no jail – case closed. Not sure if it’s going to work here but at least it’s a good thought. Life is precious, let us value it.
Well said and good thoughts, but I believe close examination of mandatory harsh sentences and their effect on crime shows that they are not an effective deterrent. That said, they could be if hard labor six days a week were part of the sentence. That probably won’t happen.
The other consideration is that it is easy to say put criminals in jail for a long time, just as easy as it is to forget that this costs money. In the US, the cost for minimum security prison is something like $ 20-25,000 a year per inmate, and high security prison runs upwards of $ 50,000 a year per person. And, as posted by really, bigger prisons will be needed.
It seems to me that a better solution is to teach good work ethics at home, and to teach skills that match the job opportunities in the BVIs. Conflict resolution skills as suggested by Really would also be an entirely appropriate skill to teach.
this new passage of a gun bill will be delayed until that skelton gun case is finished…any bets?
Why you didn’t talk about the O’neal gun case that been going on for times?
Ray, well crafted and stated. A superb framework from which to construct, enact, and implement gun crime legislation. Legislation is an important first step. But the BVI must find and root out the causes of gun and other crimes.
Crime is not just problem of the victim but also the whole community. It exacts a huge cost on the community. It adversely affects our standard of living and quality of life and economic growth and development. The rule of law is a major factor in attracting external and internal investment.
These persons that we elect to lead us will never get serious and amend the law where a 120 years once convicted on a murder charge. 45 year once found in possession of a illegal fire arm. They will get serious and impose these laws when one of their own get gun down. The BVI also need a police force around here. We dont need these pretty boys that are just driving up tax payers motor vehicles around the island just sporting and sightseeing. Dont think this is funny.
I salute you for submitting this my brother, I hope the government takes the necessary steps in making sure these laws are handed down with immediate effect. 1 life lost is one too many, too much of this is hitting home and it’s time we take back our homes. We need to stand up and do what’s right. We need to march against Violence of any sort in the BVI. I would love to see everyone that owns an unlicensed firearm to turn them in to the police, no questions asked. We are losing too much of our younger generation to senseless violence. It’s time we take a stand and bury the evil that’s been plaguing our territory for too long now. We need to RISE UP!!!!!
No where has such legislation proven to reduce any crime whether by gun or knife. So you are wrong Ray!
You speak of your “yesterday” generation, well we are living in “TODAY’s” generation. Until you learn to understand what today’s generation is dealing with and address the behavior at its root BEFORE is manifests itself, then you will not solve a darned thing!
All you will force us to do is build a bigger Jail.
You solution is a reactive one NOT a proactive one and solves nothing nor does it deter anything.
Do you think that if I am enraged, that just before I pull the trigger, that I am going to sit and think “hmmmm lawd I could get 10 years in jail so let me don’t squeeze”? NOPE.
What you should want me to think about is my kids, is the fact that the other person is a human with family who love them. You see my dear Ray, the problem is behavioral. We have to get into the minds of youth. We have to teach conflict resolution.
Instead we spend too much time on our jobs and not enough time with our kids. Kids are left to raise themselves. We are busy partying instead of putting in time with not only our own kids but our kids’ friends as well.
It takes a village!
Finally Ray, from the time of Cain and Abel we have been killing each other. They had no guns then. Guns have never killed anyone. People kill each other! So even without a gun, it would be a knife, a machette, grammazone, acid, vehicular assault, baseball bat, pigtail comb etc. And people have died from all of those right here in the VI in the past 10 years!
So please rethink your strategy for stopping violent crime in the VI.
PS (Mr Alcedo Tyson had lots of time to think before he killed the young lady. He had been in and out of the club. He sat impatiently waiting. The thought of him having to do jail time did not deter him. 5-20 years – Life imprisonment didn’t stop him from squeezing that trigger.)
To “really”, I challenge you to read the submission again, please! Your first statement clearly shows that you either forget or ignored the writer’s message.
This article expressed so many people’s frustration with the issue at hand. “Ray”, I hope that this letter was sent directly to HOA members.
Please tell me what you THINK I missed!
I think if you let your personal bias for Ray’s previous post go, you would understand what he was trying to say in he first instance.
@Ray, good posting. It is not the full solution to the problem at hand, but it is a start in the right direction and something for our leaders of the day to get their minds running….
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