If our children can’t be safe…

Friday, October 21, 2011

IT'S been said repeatedly in this space and elsewhere, but such are the realities we may as well say it again: That among the tragedies of modern Jamaican society is that we take atrocities for granted.

So while there will have been expressions of shock and anger among ordinary people in their communities and work places, by now most Jamaicans are putting behind them the news that a man and his two young sons were murdered and a common-law wife and mother seriously injured during a terror attack in Yallahs, St Thomas on Saturday night.

For those who may have not heard or are already in the process of forgetting, police report that a 48-year-old farmer, Mr Courtney Brown, was driving home when he was stopped by gunmen and shot dead.

According to the news story in the Monday Observer, "the gunmen, the police reported, then went to Brown's home nearby where they used Molotov cocktails to set the premises ablaze with his wife and two sons inside. They then sprayed the building with bullets, preventing its occupants — who had only minutes earlier returned from a relative's funeral — from leaving. Brown's 30-year-old common-law wife, Tina Thompson, despite being badly burnt on her arms, back and shoulder, managed to dislodge a piece of wood from the side of the board dwelling and escaped.

"Her two sons were not so lucky. Ten-year-old Matadio Brown and his nine-year-old brother, Rod, were burnt to death in the inferno. Matadio's charred remains were found underneath a bed, while his brother's corpse was found at another section of the house," police said.

"Both were students of the Yallahs Primary School, where Matadio was in grade five and his brother in grade four...".

In such simple, plain language spread over just a few sentences is captured the horror of the menace among us.

There are those who make believe that violent crime in Jamaica can be dealt with by using conventional, crime-fighting methods. We need to stop fooling ourselves. Atrocities such as that carried out in Yallahs on Saturday night, and all too often in many other places across Jamaica, do not qualify as ordinary crime. It is straight up terrorism, designed to not just kill and maim, but to frighten the daylights out of all of us.

The recognition that such terrorism won't be conquered using conventional crime-fighting methods triggered the declaration of a limited State of Emergency last year, which substantially incapacitated the murderous gangs in sections of the capital and St Catherine. As we have said repeatedly, we believe that the emergency powers handed the security forces back then were removed too early.

Given the political and economic realities, we are not here advocating a return to a State of Emergency, but we believe the security forces must be given whatever is required in material, manpower resources and legislative support to crush gangs and root out terrorists.

The trouble is that for decades our leaders have lacked the political will to forthrightly deal with criminals. Perhaps it has to do with that disgraceful nexus between our 'old style' politicians and gunmen dating back to the 1960s.

That paucity of political will manifests itself in many ways — none clearer than in the fact that three years after the green light from a much-publicised parliamentary conscience vote, the law of the land which demands the death penalty for convicted capital murderers continues to be flouted.

Undoubtedly the excitement surrounding the upcoming ascent to prime ministerial position of 39-year-old Mr Andrew Holness, a supposedly 'new style' politician, helped to dampen the public uproar that should have followed the atrocity in Yallahs.

Hope that Mr Holness will be in a position to bring a fresh approach to the Government's anti-crime policy seems certain to be doused by the proximity of elections. Constitutionally, he has close to a year before elections need be called. But conventional wisdom is that he will have to do it now.

But whoever wins that election had better understand that the society must deal with gangs and terrorists in a well thought-out, comprehensive and efficient way. For while we may have a damaged IMF agreement to repair, an economy to resurrect, malfunctioning education and health sectors to overhaul, etc, all will come to nothing if our children can't be safe in their beds.

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COMMENTS (11)

Strange Bedfellows
10/23/2011

Mr. Editor, Jamaica needs new heroes. My own view is unless ones own life is laid on the line in service of others(National Advancement) then you do not deserve to be called a National Hero. In the fight against crime, who is willing to risk their lives(and the lives of their family). The fight must become a calling. When it does, the criminals will lose. Will we ever be motivated to go after a crime-free society in the same way we go after the acquisition of house and land and car?

wanda woeman
10/22/2011

The public only forgets to the extent that the media allows them to. It is the media’s job to keep events in the public eye, similar to how they are doing now by promoting Andrew Holness as the new saviour of JA. I agree though that we cannot use conventional methods to battle crime in JA. This is terrorism at its heights, designed not only to frighten, but to challenge the authority of the state.
But if the govt is to have the political will to take the necessary actions, it needs the support of the media. Drastic actions are taken and we soon have “human interest” stories of how the perpetrators are poor.
In light of the DCP’s admissions yesterday that cases for action need to be handpicked because of a shortage of investigators; we need to have govt’s anti crime policies highlighted once more.

Owen Johnson
10/21/2011

Your Clovis cartoon characterization of black is most disrespectful and is contemptuous of the black majority. Clovis and by extension the Observer have consistently ridicule the notion of black leadership. You have consistently projected black administration as corrupt and despotic. Sooner or later as our spring draw near, you will come to respect the 99 percent.

kevin sanders
10/21/2011

@Nejeeper KNG - I am thankful for this editorial because it highlights my concerns. My intention is for us to be the safest country in the world where our children can walk free, our elderly can sit out late at nights and tourists can venture into the countryside without fear. It's not out of our reach. I saw where NY murder rate fell 75% so I know it's possible.
It's time to bring out the full force of the military to remove the 6,000 guns that Major Les Green says is out there.

kevin sanders
10/21/2011

Anyone who has read my blog "can recall" that I've made fighting the scourge of crime in our nation my top priority and have often referred to the fearlessness of Trinidad's P.M Kamla Bissessar in executing a state of emergency despite the rhetoric from the opposition. She warned people bent on living a life of crime that her administration is prepared to “take them out in one way or the other”. The crime rate in Trinidad has plummeted while she maintains a limited state of emergency.

D, r. McIntyre
10/21/2011

JFJ, you really surprises me. It should be justice for all not only the unwanted thugs. Money, power and a little lime light is a hell of a thing.

Nejeeper KNG
10/21/2011

@Kevin Sanders, D Armstrong let’s get-up stand-up like Bob said for our country. Many of us J’cans are brilliant, perceptive and patriotic, on the other hand many are clueless, and they only have energy to drink the Green or Orange Kool-Aid. Yes; our children are dying and this is not a political issue it is a J’can issue. If Mr. Holness want to show vision start with addressing crime and corruption, crime is our biggest problem. We have an army idling while terrorist are killing our children.

Stephen Fox
10/21/2011

What you say is obvious to everyone. It has been obvious for over a decade. Every year it gets worse. You would think that the parliamentarians on both sides would be acting to stem the tide. But nosiree bob. No concerted action. Just a bunch of talk. If you are not part of the solution then you must be part of the problem. By the way whose constituency was that?

David Armstrong
10/21/2011

To successfully deal with the violent crime situation the source or sources that allow this problem to continue must be eliminated. We know what some of these sources are but no one is demanding measures to fix them. One of the main sources is corruption in the political system, law enforcement and in the private sector. We must make our voices heard; we must demand changes in the form of laws that will deal harshly with not only the perpetrators but with those who aid and abet them.

Chipmunk L.
10/21/2011

It is plain and simple, hunt the cowards down. We just cannnot allow the criminals to continue to traumatize the majority of the population. The J.C.F needs to form a division of highly trained professional Officers whose sole purpose is to get rid of the animals who terrorize the public.
Wanted dead or alive should be the mantra of that unit . It can be done! Desperate times calls for Decisive actions. They are terrorists plain and simple.

David Armstrong
10/21/2011

Yes I think you are right in saying that atrocities are taken for granted. These atrocities like beheadings and barbaric killing of people shock most people for a day or two. It is as if we have become desentized to these atrocities and feel helpless in doing anything about it. There is a lot of blame that can be leveled at the various institutions (including the media) for not doing their part to put an end to these atrocities. For example this editorial should have condemned the govt.

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If our children can’t be safe…