Beverley Anderson -Manley
ONCE AGAIN, the words of Ernie Smith are resounding in my head as 'Jah kingdom goes to waste'.
The ongoing eruption of the former capital of Jamaica, Spanish Town, reminds us that no band-aid attempts at solving our crime problem will work. It is the same pattern over and over again.
Something happens between feuding gangs from the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and the People's National Party (PNP) - in the current case an alleged gang leader is killed. Initially, the people protest against this killing, which they say is a police killing. Then nothing else is heard as they come to realise that perhaps it was not a police killing. The police step in.
The JLP Member of Parliament and the PNP Member of Parliament from the adjoining constituency along with the Chamber of Commerce (because businesses are hurting) - meet with the police to bring the matter under control. The Member of Parliament, 'Babsy' Grange calls for massive social intervention for a town that has long lost its glory - a town that looks like the 'day after' some massive tragedy.
THE ILLUSION OF PEACE
So, once again, there is what appears to be peace. But, not for long. Something else happens - there is more violence - more people are killed. The police are brought in. The Members of Parliament and the Chamber of Commerce, along with other well-thinking Jamaicans meet.
Sometimes they meet with members of the gangs. There is an apparent peace. Then something else happens and the cycle perpetuates itself - often taking on the semblance of a roller coaster - as vortex-like it spirals downwards into a dark hole of despair.
FROM VICIOUS CYCLES TO VIRTUOUS CIRCLES
The first thing that needs to be done is to stop the vicious cycle in its downward path leading to nowhere.
This will take extraordinary interventions led by women and men who are willing to give up the rewards that they reap from this vicious cycle of crime and violence.
For example, can the Members of Parliament come clean on garrison constituencies? Can the police come clean on the levels of collusion and corruption that some of them are involved in?
Can the women and the men who live in these areas come clean and take a decision to discontinue their cooperation with dons no matter what the cost?
Can the mothers and the fathers take decisions to stop hiding and defending sons who have gone astray and who have become so vicious in their behaviour that they cold-heartedly kill our children? Can the women decide to go without the 'goodies' from the loot of the gunmen so that their daughters can stop being raped and sold to the dons?
Can we, as Jamaicans, begin to see that the boundaries between the 'inner' and 'outer' cities have become so blurred that one is an integral part of the other - to the extent that many 'outer' city uptown areas are an oasis of wealth in the middle of a hostile desert of poverty and despair? Do we dare, as a people to intervene and interrupt this vicious cycle so powerfully that we end this madness!
THE MURDER RATE
We are reminded every day now that the murder rate is down 30 per cent this year when compared to the first two months of last year - and down 25 per cent when March of this year is compared to March last year. We give thanks, but is this a comparison that is useful - or should we be looking at the murder rate over a period of five years and see what that tells us? In any case, what is a tolerable murder rate?
Constitutional reform has to take place at the systemic level, but simultaneously there are things we can do at the individual level. One person can make a difference. Let us begin now to take individual responsibility to tell the truth - or shut up and continue to face the consequences. Anais Ninn reminds us:
"And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom."
Let that day be today.
Beverley Manley is a political scientist, transformation coach and gender specialist. email: bmanley@kasnet.com.
