Garth RattrayGarth Rattray
OUR UNPRECEDENTED murder rate (over 750 since January and an all-time record of 150 in June alone) has left people wondering if our country has gone completely mad, and perhaps they're not far from the truth. It had always seemed to me that crime and violence share some things in common with schizophrenia.
During my requisite psychiatry rotation I got a glimpse into the workings of the schizophrenic mind. No longer did I view the afflicted as what people merely called "mad". I realised that they all lived in their own separate worlds. Some worlds were governed by paranoia, others by delusions and yet others by hallucinations. Their perceptions, values, and morals shared little in common with our own. The thread of reality that binds us together as rational people had been broken by deranged brain chemicals facilitated by inherited complex, multiple genetic codes.
SEVERAL WORLDS
Our social ills can be compared to schizophrenia because on the surface, we appear to live in a common reality when in fact Jamaicans exist in several worlds separated by race, culture, status, values, morals, wealth, poverty, environment, violence, greed, politics, power and innumerable other differentiating factors.
Children that grow up on the streets and in an atmosphere of violence/ruthlessness exist in a world far different from those that grow up in homes filled with love, religion, education and discipline. The values that we hold dear, such as the sanctity of life, love for one another and the fear of God often mean little to those who witness their relatives and friends killed for the sake of gang supremacy, acceptability, money, drugs and politics. The Jamaica of the wealthy who own multimillion-dollar homes and cars is a far cry from the Jamaica of the poor who go to bed hungry at nights.
DAILY NEEDS
Children and young people who grow up being told to get money by begging, working, stealing or selling themselves on the streets have no concept of what it means to have their daily needs provided for by supportive parents. Children who grow up being told to stay outside because their one-room house is occupied by a mother who must "entertain" her benefactor in order for the family to eat the next day have no idea of what it's like to savour the comforts of a loving home environment. Youths inculcated into believing that they should "kill or be killed" instead of "live and let live" and that "the don/area leader/politician shall provide" instead of the "Lord shall provide" certainly view religion and the church with absolute irreverence.
We all occupy this common 10,991 sq. km but we don't enjoy a common upbringing, education, supportive, nurturing, disciplined home-life or a common moral background. So when someone walks into the Bethel Born Again True Faith Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ in Papine and (after two attempts) shoots to death a worshipper in full view of everyone we are appalled because we cannot comprehend his sacrilege and determined, cold-bloodied murderous intent. Although we share this little island with him we exist in a world light-years away from his. Whereas we see a humble church with devout worshippers, he sees a wooden building with helpless victims.
EXTREME REVERENCE
More recently, many of us struggled to comprehend the violent demonstrations and outpouring of grief and dismay (candlelight vigil and all) over the death of Oliver 'Bubba' Smith, a reputed gang leader and extortionist. But, the Tawes Pen community of Spanish Town obviously views him with extreme reverence bordering on worship for his contributions to their poverty-stricken community. In their world he is a saviour worthy of praise and respect, in our world he is a deportee, a don involved in criminal activities - the two are irreconcilable.
And now, the untenable level of crime and violence has some calling for overseas experts to assist with criminal investigations. But as long as we remain worlds apart, there will never be any co-operation and no resolution of our crippling crime problem. Until we effect social reforms that truly fulfil the basic needs of everyone and provide equitable educational and job opportunities our worlds will continue to collide and crimson rivers of innocent blood will flow from our wounded country.
Garth A. Rattray is a medical practitioner with a family
practice.
