I had to roll my eyes when I saw the sensationalist headline; the article’s commentary only serves to reinforce the wide-spread negative stereotypes about the Caribbean and its people, exemplified by it’s warped, incorrect “analysis”.

The Caribbean has been misconceptualized from its earliest history, and from the time wealthy foreigners started to use the islands for leisure travel and entertainment.

Let me state I am well aware of the amount of crime in our countries, as well as the poverty and the gov’t corruption.

HOWEVER, I would like the rest of the world to know that in “murderous” places such as Kingston and PoS, in reality, you will find a great deal of quite the opposite. We have incredibly innovative people doing amazing things, thriving businesses, a rich music and arts scene (and yes, there are very sophisticated lounges where people gather after work), nice neighborhoods, and millions of people living completely normal, happy, full lives just like those that live in the “First World”.

I speak from experience, as in addition to growing up in NYC, I am a Crucian-Puerto Rican from the U.S. Virgin Islands. I must be out of my mind though, because I am going back to Kingston next month for yet ANOTHER visit.

Amazingly, I survived all my prior trips to Kingston to see friends. In fact, during my stays there, neither I nor my Jamaican friends were shot, robbed, or injured in any way. And to this day, most everyone I know in Kingston (and PoS) is still happy and healthy.

They have diverse jobs, go to school, organize and attend cultural and business activities, such as art exhibits and investment clubs.

They also manage to walk down many streets in Kingston, every day, without getting shot!

If I sound a tad sarcastic, it’s only because I’ve grown tired of looking at the very empty portrait that has been painted of us. And although we try to fill it in ourselves, the artists and architects of popular belief, via media or other outlets, most certainly have not.

If you are from Kingston or PoS (I use only these 2 cities b/c of the article content), you know good and well what your city & nation’s problems are, BUT you also know that they can be some of the most amazing places to live, and are not lacking for any of the cultural or intellectual activities that others possess.

It’s a sad thing to think of the amount of people that have been scared away from visiting Kingston for so many years now, and more recently PoS, thanks to articles such as the L.A. Times one.

Too bad so many will never get to experience their stunning vistas and vibrancy; the fun, the food, the music…And of course the people, with their diverse, rich cultures.

But again, I am not blind to the death, destruction, and horrors occurring, whether they are in PoS, Kingston, or elsewhere. In fact, I do things in my life that will help plant the seeds of change and growth. And with the hard work of many others through various avenues, it is possible to build a nation’s economy, as enterprising people are beginning to draw more from local resources in their business creation ventures. As new jobs are created, this puts more capital into the hands of the people, and that capital winds up recirculating back into the economy, where you will begin to find more growth. As long as the people of the Caribbean realize it is necessary to invest more and keep more capital at home, there will be an abatement of poverty, which in turn will help to lessen crime. It will be a slow process, but it is beginning to happen. However, from the newspapers and television, you would never know it.

That being said, I cannot be blind to the beauty of cities such as PoS and Kingston, and the amazing, unique characteristics of each. It’s hard to explain if you aren’t from there, or haven’t spent quality time there. There is so much that draws me back to Port-of-Spain and Kingston, and a great deal is quite intangible.

We need to work together to help counter the negativity and misinformation, and I’m so happy to see how many people and groups from the Caribbean are using the “new” media to do so.

Since most of us are not privy to the highest ranks of media, multi-national corporations, and government, our stories aren’t told.

But with the rise of technology for everyone, and the ability to communicate globally, we can be in control of what content pertaining to us is emphasized, and how our images are shown. Time come fi gwaan and mek dem know.

What I’m also worried about here is the questionable standards which allow a major US newspaper to print untruths and sensational comments and pass them off as fact. This seems to be a growing trend, however, and not only in relation to the Caribbean.