Glenda Simms, Contributor
SOME DEFINING moments on the socio-political landscape of any society are indications that self-respecting and responsible citizens can no longer turn a blind eye to the erosion of decency in their midst.
On the national level such a defining moment is indicated in the headline of the October 2, 2004 edition of The Gleaner. Every law-abiding and decent woman and man should note with interest and give unconditional applause to the corporate giants who are threatening to withdraw their support from the musical industry if "dancehall artistes continue to make violent lyrics a part of their musical repertoire."
When companies such as Cable and Wireless Jam-aica Ltd., Courts Jamaica Ltd., Digi-cel, Red Stripe, Pepsi Cola and Wray and Nephew throw their economic power behind an initiative, then the entire society private and public sectors ought to analyse when and where they will meaningfully enter the debate.
The editorial in the The Gleaner of October 4, 2004 raised some very relevant issues around this controversy. It was noted that it is the pressure of overseas gay rights organisations that have forced such a strong response from some of the most powerful private sector giants. In light of the source of the activism of the gay lobby, The Gleaner is hoping that violence against gays is not given more prominence than the violence perpetuated through the musical lyrics against other non-gay persons in the society.
DISRESPECTING WOMEN
It is at this point that I would like to remind the editorial writer of The Gleaner that the mainstay of dancehall and related musical styles is the disrespect that is aimed at women and girls. The so-called "slackness" that is the titillater of both genders is part and parcel of the content of the artistes who produce some of the most disgusting lines about women's sexuality, their body parts, their undergarments and their age-related potential or lack thereof.
The music that glamorises date rape, the use of the penis as a weapon of pain and humiliation must be seen as violent hate-based music. The concerns of women and girls should have been part of our nat-ional consciousness long before the musical gay bashing came to the international attention.
At this juncture, women need to make note of the difficulty that women still face in dealing effectively with the gender-based atrocities that are meted out to them on a daily basis in most societies in the modern world.
They also need to recognise the importance of alliances with other interest groups and marginalised minorities.
In the October 5, 2004 edition of The Gleaner, Donna P. Hope, a student at George Mason University, argued that Jamaica is deeply Christian and fundamentalist society, and because of this Jamaican dancehall artistes take their religious directive from the same source as all those who profess to have direct and privileged access to God. They therefore feel justified in their hatred of homosexuals.
By the same token, some fundamentalist and racist brokers of God's intent spent decades preaching that black people are cursed and are not worthy of the highest honours in the godly corridors of heaven and earth.
Within this mode, the Mormon Church discriminated and excluded black men from the inner sanctum of their temples and tabernacles. It was not until Nigeria was poised to become a major player in the world oil market that the Mormon gurus who speak directly to God received a vision in which the Most Holy told them that black men are no longer cursed. Like white men, they were allowed to get into the inner circle of the Mormon Church. It went without saying that all women black and white, were not worthy to go beyond a certain point in the Mormon Church.
HATE MESSAGES
In spite of the ranting and ravings and sometimes brilliant arguments of theologians and fundamentalist Christians, some of us remain convinced that the essence of our relationship with God must not be brokered by those who justify violence, exclusion and hatred in the name of God.
Some people are wondering why foreigners should have the right to interfere with our home-grown dancehall boys. Well, it is not enough to blame outsiders for forcing us to confront the multidimensional hate messages that are encoded in much of dancehall music.
When local citizens draw attention to the issue, they are usually dismissed as irrelevant and out of step with modern trends and all the new found freedoms to abuse others in the name of religion, music and other cultural prerogatives.
In the July 15, 1999 edition of The Gleaner, communications consultant Martin Henry wrote an article on 'Crime and Punishment' and asked the question "Why is it not a prosecuted criminal offence for dancehall DJs to be publicly preaching that 'informer fi dead...'?"
These voices were raising the same issues that are being raised today.
Interestingly, in the ongoing saga between the Jamaican dancehall DJs and the international gay rights movement exemplified by the British group Outrage, the question of freedom of speech is raised in some very interesting ways.
ADVOCATE VIOLENCE
On the local front there are many who are grappling with the right of DJs to articulate sexist lines and advocate violence against women, girls, homosexuals and others. Within the framework of fundamental human rights, New York letter writer S. Escoffery in the Letter of the Day published in the October 6, 2004 edition of The Gleaner argues that he is "a firm believer in freedom of speech and will never back from supporting my Jamaican culture, even when it says 'Boom bye bye'..."
In the same issue of The Gleaner contributor Donna P. Hope's article has the caption "DJs cite freedom of speech" as a plank on which to hitch their wagon of hate messages.
So, while all freedom-loving people can relate to George Orwell's belief that "if liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear," all decent persons will know that responsibility is the flipside of all freedoms.
The root cause of sexism, racism, homophobia, ageism, classism and other social ills is firmly rooted in a history that has systematically created the "other" in order to maintain the privileges of some others.
Women and girls should welcome the coming together of powerful and influential men (both gays and straights) in this new battle for decency, accountability and restrictions of the rights of individuals to abuse others.
Maybe one day the battle for equality, equity, justice and peace will be won.
Dr. Glenda P. Simms is the executive director of the Bureau of Women's Affairs.
