Peace Without Poison

Jamaica won its full independence in 1962 and became a UN member state the same year. It wasnot until Hugh Shearer became president in 1967 that covert population control measures wereadopted. By the time he left office in 1972 the crude birth rate decreased from 40 to 32 childrenper 1000 people, a 20% decrease in just five years.His successor, Michael Manley, continued with the same fervor and by the time he left office in1980 the crude birth rate declined a further 15%.Edward Seaga (1980-1989) managed only an 11% decrease before Michael Manley (1989-1992)returned to office and managed to shave off another 4% from the crude birth rate. Percival NoelJames Patterson was in office from 1992 to 2006 and he can boast for having achieved a 30%decrease in his people’s crude birth rate; more than any other Jamaican leader.The last three prime ministers of Jamaica - Portia Simpson-Miller (2006-2007, and incumbentsince 2012), Bruce Golding (2007-2011), and Andrew Holness (2011-2012) – have slowed down384 | P a g e