Garth Rattray
ON SUNDAY, April 10, the Nationwide radio programme used as its theme Mark Wignall's Sunday Observer column berating Bruce Golding for his old-style, 'Seagaesque' politics.
His threat of 'bangarang' if the police did not end their four-day cordon and curfew of Ellerslie Pen and Tawes Pen was not well received. Every possible meaning of the word was explored.
I vacillated between 'bangarang' being interpreted to mean "extreme violence" to 'bangarang' meaning "some degree of trouble". In any event, I ended up agreeing that the use of that word in our society at this time was inflammatory.
But it didn't take long for 'bangarang' to manifest itself in the form of social unrest on April 12. Once again, the news came forth that Spanish Town was locked down because of violence.
Between the demands of extortionists, high operating costs, an antiquated infrastructure, barefaced criminal activities and frequent shutting down because of extreme violence and/or protests, I wonder how businesses in the capital survive.
BOISTEROUS SUPPORT
Last Tuesday, throngs of adults and children came out in boisterous support of their benefactor, reputed leader of the 'One Order' gang, Andrew 'Bunman' Hope.
His brief detention precipitated the blocking of roads, fires, the hurling of missiles at passing innocent motorists and strident confrontation with the security forces. There were signs lauding the 'One Order' gang and one man even said (off camera) that they will die for the gunmen and that the police should leave.
Throughout all of this and at every televised demonstration, I always wonder if our leaders are asking themselves questions like: If we provide employment opportunities for these people, would they be demonstrating?
Why aren't the children in school? Why is there always so much debris available to be used to block our roads? Who supports these people? Why are they so hostile towards the police? Why do these people pledge their allegiance to the dons and not to their country?
Obviously area leaders or dons are geniuses at encouraging 'voluntary contributions' from local businesses, after all (just as in the embarrassing 1998 detention of Zekes in downtown Kingston) the protestors have been telling us all in no uncertain terms that they depend heavily and sometimes solely on the area leaders or dons for their survival.
They say that the area leaders/dons school their children, provide money for food, clothes, shelter and security for them within their communities. It is funny that no one in authority ever stops to ask where these area leaders or dons get the money to provide for all their followers. Perhaps they have very lucrative legitimate businesses.
Some of our politicians befriend and depend on these area leaders or dons to provide political support through their cohesive influence among the masses. They pontificate on propriety, truth and justice while maintaining a symbiotic relationship with these dubious individuals.
The people of the inner city see and know of this and that is why they have little or no respect for civil authority.
They know full well that the real power in this country resides not in Parliament, it resides in the inner-city communities where votes are harvested and many party delegates reside.
MUST REGAIN CONTROL
And so, we are repeatedly held hostage by a volatile and capricious subset of Jamaicans eager to spitefully disrupt civil society at any cost and uncaring of the repercussions no matter how disastrous. Where will they strike next and who can stop them?
We must regain control of our inner cities. We need to see to the basic needs of our poor now. I did not like the manner in which democratic socialism was being thrust upon us in the 1970s, but at the heart of the idea was the equitable distribution of wealth.
In a country where cars can cost over twenty million dollars and houses over one hundred million no child should go to bed hungry or miss school because of a lack of food, clothes or books.
Until we empower our people with education and job opportunities, they will remain dependent on one demagogue or another. Everything else that we do only delays the real 'bangarang' to come.
Dr Garth Rattray is a medical doctor with a family practice
