TUESDAY'S ANNOUNCED truce between the divided communities of March Pen Road, Spanish Town, St. Catherine, and their pledge to work together to end the bloodshed and mayhem have our support.
The truth is, however, no community in Jamaica can be truly peaceful and safe if all of Jamaica and all Jamaicans do not have the same opportunity for safety and peace. And neither can the society reach its full potential and deliver growth and prosperity in a climate of fear. Security is an important ingredient for, and index of, development.
In that regard, not only do we hope that the peace holds in the March Pen community, but that it breaks out elsewhere in Spanish Town and across Jamaica.
But having said that, there are issues which arise from the burying of the hatchet in March Pen, which we believe are worthy of serious and honest debate and resolution if Jamaica is to confront the problems of law and order credibly.
We do not know the faction leaders who were engaged in what appears to have been serious negotiations, leading to this week's March Pen truce, but the police suggested that they were "influential community leaders."
One of those leaders, Mr .Christopher Brown, speaking of violence in the community, declared: "We are just tired of it now and we realise that it is time we unite and end all the war."
Even as we agree with Mr. Brown, we are bound to ask on what basis did Mr. Brown speak with such seeming authority about ending the violence?
Did he, or for that matter, did Mr. David Campbell, of Middle March Pen, speak on behalf of the hard men of violence who have robbed, extorted and murdered with impunity?
It is unlikely to be the case that these community leaders, who were part of a process involving the police, government agencies and civil society groups, can, could have, or did speak on behalf of the outlaws and warlords. For that to be the case would suggest that not only can such violence be turned on and off, as with a spigot, by influential community leaders, but it would raise questions for officialdom about how they engage with persons who, however reformed or well-meaning, may be accused of having collaborated with criminals. Of course, while this does not apply to March Pen and the community leaders who were involved in fashioning the truce, the question remains relevant for other areas where people tired of 'war' may be looking to bury the hatchet.
In our view, it would be morally offensive, even beyond the legal implications, for the callous and callused men of mayhem and violence to walk away from the blood and entrails of their actions and have all forgiven on toasts of hot beer and whatever is drunk on such occasions.
However, when communities and their leaders genuinely wish to put blood and war behind them and do something about it, they deserve strong state support. That support was not obvious in March Pen this week.
THE OPINIONS ON THIS PAGE, EXCEPT FOR THE ABOVE, DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE GLEANER.
