Orville W. Taylor When self-created crises emerge, Americans tend to say that the faecal matter hits the cooling apparatus. Me, I merely suggest that what often begins as sweet oral gestures will create a 'stink' in the end. The past week saw a pre-dawn raid in Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) inner-city stronghold, Tivoli Gardens, in which four people, including three women were shot, presumably by the police/military. Just 24 hours later, a family of four was torched inside their house and shot when attempting to flee the flames. Even more painful are the reports of the 10-year-old who screamed for help only to have her would-be rescuers themselves fired upon by the heartless gunmen.
Then, on Thursday, area 'don' and JLP supporter 'Chubby Dread' whose name reminds me of the past life of a 'leading' politician, was shot dead in New Kingston outside the Asylum nightclub. Sheer madness indeed! In a separate but not necessarily unconnected incident, JLP Member of Parliament Olivia 'Babsy' Grange escaped serious injury when two persons riding on bicycles behind the vehicle she was travelling in, were shot. In close succession, like a reverse phoenix, the Pearnel Charles Arcade was once again reduced to ashes.
'Fortis'
On Wednesday, Grade 7 students at Kingston College, whose motto interestingly begins "Fortis," were caned because they refused to snitch on their colleague who was overly flatulent. Apparently, a teacher 'caught wind' of the offence and could not get to the bottom of who the culprit was. I am not a believer in corporal or even constable punishment in schools. In any event, it is against the rules of the Ministry of Education. Their parents should take up the matter and not rest until the battle has been successfully 'fought.' This is clearly a case of unnecessary and unwarranted force. It scares me that we could be becoming a society which revels in excess force and violence in settling conflicts.
Such is the criticism being launched against the security forces. I don't know what are the circumstances under which the women were shot during the police-led raid in "Tivauli" Gardens. However, the police report says that there was a shoot-out. I am a stickler for proper police procedure and squirm when innocent bystanders are injured whether by gunmen who engage the security forces or by the security forces themselves. Accounts by His Worship the mayor and his party leader, Bruce Golding, are that the women were wounded as the police wantonly fired in their direction close to where the women were standing. Some 'eyewitnesses' claim that it was a botched assassination attempt on the life of the party leaders.
Whichever way, if the women were injured by security force bullets, the shooters need to be kicked out of the force because they are poor marksmen. If they intentionally fired upon innocent women, then why did they do it? Nonetheless, I want to know: What were the women doing in the line of fire during a curfew?
On the other hand, the police/military must defend themselves when fired upon. Golding reportedly suggests that there was no shoot-out and that the security forces fired indiscriminately. Yet, I am curious as to how a Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) soldier might have shot his own aircraft while airborne over Tivoli. My! What poor shots they are!
thorough investigation
I hope a thorough investigation is carried out either way because when police operations are effected in politically sensitive areas, the greatest casualty is the truth. Possibly, the truth 'lies' somewhere between the police and the Opposition Leader. Hopefully, there won't be too much delay in the report coming to public scrutiny.
Speaking of 'Delay', the U.S. Congress majority leader has been indicted on corruption and money laundering charges. He is the second member of Bush's Republican Party to be removed for impropriety in recent years as he follows the example of Newt Gingrich who had to step down on moral grounds. Many of his supporters suggest that the charges are false and they are carrying out a witch hunt. Maybe, but didn't they spent a 'Starr-sized' fortune to bring down Bill Clinton whose 'cohabiter' Monica Lewinski refused to keep her mouth shut about their affair? Anyway, I will give that international issue delayed attention in a later column.
blacks and crime
International readers, be assured that like crime in most metropolitan countries where there is a sizeable black population, most of the violence, including acts of aggression and homicide inflicted on the police, are concentrated in particular neighbourhoods and social strata. It is still essentially a lot of 'black on black' violence. Believe it or not, Jamaica has one of the lowest 'crimes against tourists' rates in the hemisphere. "No problem mon!"
Yet as I said last week and on other occasions, we are doing this to ourselves and the 'foul' have come home to roost. Former Republican U.S. Education Secretary, William Bennett, remarked that "you could abort every black baby in this country, and your crime rate would go down." As angry as it makes me, I understand the correlation because we have made a hell of our freedom and hard-fought rights.
Unlike American plantations, we in Jamaica were 'disciplined' by whip-wielding black 'crackers.' Nobody can beat a nigger like another nigger. We need to unlearn the lessons fast. We might not want to admit it but despite the maxim about sparing the rod and spoiling the child, it is a short step from discipline to abuse especially if the reason for the beating is anger. It is a challenge but physical force should only be used as a last resort and never when one is angry.
Dr. Orville Taylor is senior lecturer in the Department of Sociology, Psychology and Social Work at the University of the west Indies, Mona.
