STAR of the Month : Guns for all who wish Tommy Lee says criminals wary of armed persons

With the Government about to implement a piece of legislation to fight crime on the island, one of the country's controversial entertainers has opined that granting all citizens the right to bear arm could be the best anti-crime strategy.

Tommy Lee Sparta, who cops had once labelled a gangster, told journalists at The STAR last week that Jamaica should go the route of the United States, where citizens are guaranteed the right to bear arm.

"Everybody shoulda all buss gun. America train them people. Dem mek everybody can have gun. Especially the artistes dem. Dem fi juss give wi gun free. ... Nobody nah trouble yuh if yuh have yuh gun pon yuh," he said.

Ravishing the country

"Nuh see di time a get wicked? Yuh nuh see how much people ah get rob and a lose dem life innocently?"

Lamenting the extent to which crime is ravishing the country, Tommy Lee said that Jamaica should have a system where every household is permitted to have a firearm.

"Nuh man naah try nuh stunt. No man naah troubled yuh if him know yuh have yuh gun," he added.

Tommy Lee's home city Montego Bay has been fraught with violence, which local authorities seem unable to get a handle on. Recalling that the police had banned him from performing there, Tommy Lee said that he hates it whenever there is war in the Second City.

"Anytime MoBay a run good, a the nicest of me, me feel happy," said Tommy Lee, who reasoned that a peaceful Montego Bay allows him to perform at shows such as Sumfest.

In 2015, Tommy Lee Sparta was barred by the police from performing at Reggae Sumfest in Montego Bay. The cops also listed him as a person of interest in a murder case, but he was never charged.

The entertainer, who is before the courts on lottery scamming charge, has indicated that he will be suing the State, and, according to his lawyer, taxpayers could be left with a $20 million burden.

Arguing that Tommy Lee Sparta has faced discrimination, and that his rights as a citizen have been breached by the police who refuse to grant permits for shows on which he has been booked, Ernest Smith said he intends to use the court to make an example of the bad cops.

Murderous tension

When The STAR enquired what would be his approach to dissolving the nation's murderous tension, he initially responded with dissonance.

"If dem cyaa fix it, mi worse cyaa fix it. Just do the right. MoBay is just a place where dem do tings until dem stop," said Tommy Lee, who advised that fighting fire with fire is not the way to go.

Meanwhile, Tommy Lee said it is unfair for people to use his songs to judge his character. "Yuh never hear seh Tommy Lee do nuttin. When me a suffer inna di ghetto, yuh neva hear Tommy Lee name call bout nuh badness. All of a sudden me turn artiste and my name a call," he said.