Garth Rattray
THE PAGES of our history books will forever be stained by an indelible crimson blotch marking the first time that Jamaica experienced about 1500 murders in a single year. Three of my patients have been killed over the past few months. The most recent was 54-year-old Mr. Basil Bowes of Ewarton. He was a decent, honest, dedicated family man and an accomplished mason, carpenter and all-round worker who enjoyed tending his few farm animals. I was bemoaning his brutal slaying when an elderly patient remarked that wild birds are far more protected than we human beings are.
EXPRESSIONS
People once expressed their disgust for senseless, brutal killings by saying, "Dem a kill man like bud (birds)". But now it seems that we would be better off if we were indeed wild birds. I am not into bird shooting but I learnt that you need a valid firearm (shotgun) licence or user's permit before purchasing the hunter's permit from approved vendors (licensed firearm dealers, sporting goods stores and a few other places) at a cost of $4,000 per season.
Compare that to criminals who shoot humans with illegal weapons of all kinds. These vary from home-made pistols and shotguns to revolvers, expensive semi-automatic handguns, powerful assault rifles and sub-machine guns. There is of course no required permit; all these gunmen need is the will to kill.
Bird shooting season begins on the third Saturday in August each year. It lasts for six weekends. There are two shooting sessions on Saturdays, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.
HUMAN OPEN SEASON
On Sundays there is only one morning session. Compare that to the open season for shooting human beings, which is all year round. Shootings occur day and night, every day of the week, rain or shine. Holy days and holidays are no exception. The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) and the Natural Resources and Conservation Authority (NRCA) see to it that hunters restrict themselves to designated hunting areas. Birds are hunted in non-residential, remote areas. As with the handling of any potentially lethal weapon, the rules governing safety, authorised use of the weapon and distances from roads/townships are strictly enforced by the police, game and environmental wardens.
Criminals, on the other hand, recognise no 'sanctuary' for humans. People are shot anywhere without regard for public safety. These degenerates will open fire in crowds and on busy streets if it suits their nefarious agenda. There is a maximum 'bag' limit on birds. You are not allowed to shoot more than 20 birds per session. Additionally, the type of bird is very important. There are 4 types of gaming birds, the bald-pate, white wing, pea dove and long-tailed pea dove. There is a stipulated maximum of 15 bald-pates per shoot. You are not allowed to shoot ring-tailed pigeons, the Mountain Witch or the white-bellied dove.
NO LIMIT
However, when it comes to shooting human beings, gunmen have no set limit and few exceptions. They kill any number of babies, children, men, women, pregnant women, the elderly, the physically challenged, the mentally challenged, locals, foreigners, businessmen and women, the clergy, professionals, policemen, soldiers, health workers, students just about everybody except the very wealthy and representational politicians.
At the end of the season, hunters must complete and return a Game Bird Shooting Report Form, while in contrast, after cold-bloodedly murdering their victims, gunmen collect their reward (money or status) and callously exchange anecdotes about their grim deeds.
In summary: When it comes to crime (especially murder), you are far better off being a protected bird than you are being human. If you find that metamorphosis impossible then perhaps you should live on one of our game reserves (sanctuaries) and hope for the best. Failing that, you had better amass great wealth or become a representational politician. If you can do none of the above then be prepared to join the ranks of the extremely vulnerable that must live each day and night fretting about their personal safety and that of their family and friends.
Dr Garth A. Rattray is a medical doctor with a family practice.
