The talk on the town nowadays is all about the big C, Crime. Some days the talk is louder than others, on theses days some lawyer, doctor or politician gets killed. These days I as a lowly, normal human, unknown in professional and diplomatic circles listen to my fellow humans berate the killing of these 'stalwarts' in Jamaican society, "someone who never hurt a fly", they say. Its only on these days that the crime problem is a problem, and the bodies count. Tragic, but true.
As I was reading the Jamaica Observer this morning, March 25, 2009, there was a big headline "7 killed in 15 hours". The headline alone made my blood run cold, 7 lives snuffed out, its like these murderers are getting commission from these funeral homes or something. Anyway, as I was reading the news story and the reaction of friends and family, here comes the two most popular lines , " She wouldn't even hurt a fly" and "The government really needs to do something about this crime problem now." You think? The last statement usually include some rambling about the fact that the mourner never ever expected such a tragedy to befall someone close to him/her, he/she never knew that murder would ever hit so close to home. Maybe we all need to start to kinda expect it at any moment then. When you watch the news and see young men and women dying do you even feel remorse for them? Does it chill your veins when you hear of the murder and sodomy of little children? Do you simple count the heads at the dinner table and say " Those vagabonds will never stop killing each other ..".
Well, welcome to the new century that we were all dying to be a part of (of course pun intended). Murder is no longer only drug related, now if you simply bad drive someone they will kill you. Why is it like this now? I will not pretend to know the answers and write any garbage strategy plan that will fix this all. What I will say is that each and every one of us has contributed to this raging monster.
How? Well, being as sympathetic as we are to the suffering of others we always overlook things until its too late. We are always unwilling to give a little to get a little, hiding behind our links and status in society. Uptowners expect the police to raid downtown every day to remove the guns when they are buying guns under hand from corrupt cops and bad men for the 'protection of their families'. It is only wrong when others do it, that is the motto of many persons. So they themselves have no morals and want to point out the immorality in others. "We don't want any police searching our houses" ,they say, "hell no!, that infringing on my right to privacy", and of course they have their lawyer on speed dial so they could sue.
I tell you, I think the most necessary right nowadays is the right to life. The right to chose your own end if you so desire. I therefore have no problem with police raiding my house, stopping me three times for the day, however inconvenient. I believe that as visitors on this earth we have to abide by the law of the land, and since criminals do not exactly walk around with a sign that says criminal, then I guess in their eyes I could be one too. The only way for them to know if I have an illegal gun which I may be carrying for my boyfriend/girlfriend is to search the car, the house etc. If the strategies that are applied to downtown communities were applied to everyone then many of these rich boys with their toys would be apprehended.
But of course if you are clean shaven you cant be a criminal. If you drive a BMW, you could not be a criminal. If you have a degree, you would not involve yourself in criminal activities. And of course if you are friends with the commissioner, you definitely are nor a criminal. With these views in mind I am sure the crime problem will be solved soon, hopefully not after they go and steal the Prime Minister's glasses from his bedside table or do some other dastardly act to someone "who couldn't hurt a fly .
As I was reading the Jamaica Observer this morning, March 25, 2009, there was a big headline "7 killed in 15 hours". The headline alone made my blood run cold, 7 lives snuffed out, its like these murderers are getting commission from these funeral homes or something. Anyway, as I was reading the news story and the reaction of friends and family, here comes the two most popular lines , " She wouldn't even hurt a fly" and "The government really needs to do something about this crime problem now." You think? The last statement usually include some rambling about the fact that the mourner never ever expected such a tragedy to befall someone close to him/her, he/she never knew that murder would ever hit so close to home. Maybe we all need to start to kinda expect it at any moment then. When you watch the news and see young men and women dying do you even feel remorse for them? Does it chill your veins when you hear of the murder and sodomy of little children? Do you simple count the heads at the dinner table and say " Those vagabonds will never stop killing each other ..".
Well, welcome to the new century that we were all dying to be a part of (of course pun intended). Murder is no longer only drug related, now if you simply bad drive someone they will kill you. Why is it like this now? I will not pretend to know the answers and write any garbage strategy plan that will fix this all. What I will say is that each and every one of us has contributed to this raging monster.
How? Well, being as sympathetic as we are to the suffering of others we always overlook things until its too late. We are always unwilling to give a little to get a little, hiding behind our links and status in society. Uptowners expect the police to raid downtown every day to remove the guns when they are buying guns under hand from corrupt cops and bad men for the 'protection of their families'. It is only wrong when others do it, that is the motto of many persons. So they themselves have no morals and want to point out the immorality in others. "We don't want any police searching our houses" ,they say, "hell no!, that infringing on my right to privacy", and of course they have their lawyer on speed dial so they could sue.
I tell you, I think the most necessary right nowadays is the right to life. The right to chose your own end if you so desire. I therefore have no problem with police raiding my house, stopping me three times for the day, however inconvenient. I believe that as visitors on this earth we have to abide by the law of the land, and since criminals do not exactly walk around with a sign that says criminal, then I guess in their eyes I could be one too. The only way for them to know if I have an illegal gun which I may be carrying for my boyfriend/girlfriend is to search the car, the house etc. If the strategies that are applied to downtown communities were applied to everyone then many of these rich boys with their toys would be apprehended.
But of course if you are clean shaven you cant be a criminal. If you drive a BMW, you could not be a criminal. If you have a degree, you would not involve yourself in criminal activities. And of course if you are friends with the commissioner, you definitely are nor a criminal. With these views in mind I am sure the crime problem will be solved soon, hopefully not after they go and steal the Prime Minister's glasses from his bedside table or do some other dastardly act to someone "who couldn't hurt a fly .