Orville W. Taylor'Everything wa gwaan a farrin a di yardie get di blame.'
So said Buju Banton in the 1990s when he had more hits than hair. I am so tired of hearing of the bad things that we have done in other countries. Three years ago we had Lee Boyd Malvo who was not even a 'gun bag' in Jamaica, being trained by an American veteran to be a sniper.
Well, Jamaicans have been killers in other countries for a long time. Jamaican-born soldiers, marines and navy men, under the leadership of a black male of 'Jamaican descent', invaded Iraq in 1991. This individual later, was part of a larger 'plot' to once again invade, take over the country and topple its dictator in 2003.
Several Jamaican-born personnel have died in this "war on terror." This includes many who died on 9/11.
Jamaican-born Samuel Francis was so officious that he fought in the American War of Indepen-dence in the 1770s. So? The British need to be angry with him for that too since then he was technically a Brit. In any event, this would mean that America has a lot to thank us for, eh?
Then, a little closer to home, Jamaican-born Boukman, went to Haiti and started the Haitian Revolution. Now we have reasons for the French to be mad at us too right? Trop mal.
Now the war on terror has a Jamaican-born youth, Jermain Lindsay, who went to the U.K. when he was only five months old and still messing up his 'nappy'. If he is Jamaican then Eng-land needs to give us back Ron Taylor who has many of the world records for masters athletes. Then return to us also Lord John Taylor, the first and only black man in the House of Lords. Remember John Barnes, who gave that wicked pass to Gary Lineker in 1986? The U.K. needs to be realistic and not turn this into another xenophobic witch-hunt or another "Blair Witch Project." Oh! Can we also get back Linford Christie who left here as a 'grown man' of two years of age? After all, he was four times the age of Lindsay when he migrated to England.
indigenous art movement
If place of birth is the main determinant of behaviour then check this! An American born 'Don' is an architect of modern Jamaican politics. An English-woman is responsible for the creation of the indigenous art movement in Jamaica. Panama-nian-born, George Headley cannot possibly be claimed as Jamaican right? He came here as a young boy.
Then again, Britain has readily accepted Lady Colin Campbell as its own and as female and with a title sounding like a 'knighthood'. Yet, s/he was born here as a male and even went to my prestigious all-male high school. Mark you, I am willing suggest that s/he did not learn to be female here or in that same school that produced Bishop Percival Gibson and many other distinguished Jamaicans (sorry fortis).
In any event, what makes British society and culture safer or superior to ours? Should we have imported the British-born Reggae Boyz who come from a society where football supporters are hooligans? English fans have such a bad reputation for violent and disorderly conduct that many other European countries ban them from entering when matches are being played.
All right readers let's learn some sociology. Unlike other mammals, humans have to learn to be human. We are not born criminal, successful, addicted, gay, or terrorists. We are the products of primary socialisation, which occurs in the home and peer groups and secondary sociali-sation, which continues via school, the community, religion, the workplace and most dangerously, the mass media. This last one is especially powerful because they are responsible for the construction of 'truth' and the perpetuation of myths. Even as I write now I could be brainwashing you with some nonsense which anyone can accept as plausible.
gene for Jamaican behaviour
Nonetheless, it is so ridiculous to think that there is a gene for Jamaican behaviour. This is so stupid that I now believe that a number of British citizens with adopted Jamaican new-born babies are scrambling to learn patios so tat they can understand them when they learn to speak.
Many prominent individuals were not born in their countries of allegiance. Bin Laden was not born in Afghanistan. Yasser Arafat was not born in Palestine, Henry Kissinger was not born in the U.S.A., Arnold Swartznegger was not born in America and he, like Kissinger, speaks English as if he has heavy-duty rubber bands on his back teeth. Yah! What matters is where they are socialised. Therefore, when America, Canada and the U.K. deport a man who spent 28 of his 30 years in their country they are really exporting a problem created in their own societies.
Nevertheless, blind 'ignorro-gance' can 'blow up in one's face.' As I have often suggested, American and British foreign policy needs the help of anthropologists and sociologists. This would provide a deep understanding of non-western peoples and their cultures. Yet, there are many American and British-born individuals who are disaffected and unhappy with American and British foreign and domestic policies and with the wrong links, can be recruited as 'enemies within,.
Not us though! Jamaicans love life and are not prone to acts of self-sacrificial homicides. Our murderers are very afraid of death and even when we attempt suicide we use ropes that are too long, trees that are too weak and branches that are too low. So if Britain is looking here for clues, then they are hanging their hopes on the wrong tree.
By the way, given the spate of bombings in the U.K. do they want back Mark Shields?
Dr. Orville Taylor is lecturer in the Department of Sociology, Psychology and Social Work at the University of the West Indies, Mona.
