Phyllis Thomas, News Editor
PRIME MINISTER P. J. Patterson's announcement of a new unit to fight crime, made in the 2004-2005 Budget debate, the debate itself, Foreign Affairs Minister K.D. Knight's unfortunate show of disrespect to womanhood, and the Arnett Gardens anarchy all occupied major spots in the news last week.
Although these issues might not have been seen, initially, as having any connection whatsoever, they do impact each other in significant ways.
I am going to start with the situation in Arnett Gardens as a basis for the linkages being made. Gangs in the area, fighting to gain control of the community had been terrorising residents, beating scores of women and children, ordering them out of their homes, and forcing the closure of seven schools.
Residents, featured in the Star newspaper last week, spoke of how they had to leave their doors open so that gunmen could hide in the house whenever the police were on patrol and how they had to send their daughters out of the area because if the gunmen said they want them, that's it.
CRIME AS A WAY OF LIFE
News came Friday evening that the warring factions had agreed to call a truce. Two meetings were held in the area Friday.
Dr. Omar Davies, Member of Parliament for the constituency, met with two groups of residents and my understanding is that he came in for some rough treatment by his constituents. Nevertheless a cease-fire was later called by the gangs.
I, however, see no reason to feel comfortable about that or any of the other so-called truces or cease-fires that gangs have called. The chances of flare-ups remain constant and invariably happen as rapid as the gunfire in the communities.
The fact is that crime and violence have become an aspect of Jamaican culture. I can imagine many raised eyebrows at this statement but this is nothing for us to act surprised about.
Culture in this context is defined as a way of life of members of a society. It is, according to M. Haralambos quoting Ralph Linton in Sociology Themes and Perspectives: "The collection of ideas and habits which they learn, share and transmit from generation to generation".
He said further that since humans have no instincts to direct their actions, their behaviour must be based on guidelines which are learned.
What's the age group of the perpetrators of crime and violence in this country? In most of the cases they are the young and the very young who have grown up seeing adults, including their own relatives, involved in crime and reaping rich rewards from it too. So they aspire to become gunmen.
A teacher sharing her experience at a seminar, reported that she asked a student what he wanted to be when he grew up. The child told her that he wanted to become a gunman. That's his role model. That's how to make money, get respect, get the best women willing or not - that's the way to be able to drive the most flashy cars and to get grown men to tremble.
The sad reality is that for several communities in Jamaica, crime and violence are a way of life and it's not just a few communities like we love to lull ourselves into believing.
It's not just in a few Kingston communities like Arnett Gardens or "Jungle" as it is popularly known. It is widespread and overwhelming us. There are security problems in sections of the Corporate Area including Nannyville, Mountain View, Olympic Gardens... and we could go on and on.
There are problems in St. Catherine with Spanish Town like the Soufriere Hills volcano of Monsterrat. St. James has several communities which are war zones. Criminals have carved out sections of the country and have claimed to own and control them.
So what has all this got to do with other events of last week? Let's take the actions of the goodly Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The Gleaner reported that, in front of the Prime Minister, he told Local Government Minister Portia Simpson Miller that what she did was @#$T%!. He was referring to her failure to vote against a recent Opposition motion in a Parliament committee, recommending that allocations to the disgrace of a fire department be increased.
Now, what was it that Haralambos said about culture which directs the actions of persons in a society? He said that behaviour is based on guidelines which are learned.
DISRESPECT TO WOMEN
When youngsters are constantly exposed to behaviour like this, where there is obvious disrespect for womanhood and each other, where they are shown that the only way to settle disputes is through crude actions then we will always have more Arnett Gardens. The Gleaner story described Mr. Knight's mood as militant and made reference to his loud talking and shouting.
I wonder though, how would K.D. Knight react if Dr. Peter Phillips, for example, abstained on an Opposition motion to condemn the lawlessness in South St. Andrew? Yea, yea, that is inconceivable... the party man Dr. Phillips is...refusing to vote on any Opposition motion that is unfavourable to his party. But we are allowed to stretch the imagination thin, can't we. So suppose he did, would Mr. Knight tell him that it was @@##%?
Mr. Patterson's announcement of a new unit to fight crime, will be just like all those other arrangements that have been made in the past if we cannot reverse the culture of crime and violence that is blanketing the country and the glimmer of hope that we are seeing on the horizon, coming out of the 2004-2005 Budget Debate will simply vanish.
Dr. Davies told the residents in his constituency Friday, "I am sick and tired of the almshouse thinking that's leading to almshouse actions." Ditto, Dr. Davies. Ditto!
Comments? You can e-mail me at phyllis.thomas@gleanerjm.com
