The ‘vulturisation’ of crime in Jamaica
THE war of words between the Minister of National Security Peter Bunting and his Opposition counterpart Derrick Smith, over the escalating murder rate, is not only unbecoming, but underlines the extent to which political tribalism has “vulturised” crime in Jamaica. It is nauseating to hear both men trying to score points as to which political party has been more successful in keeping the crime rate down. It reminds one of a set of vultures fighting over a scrap of meat as if to determine who is more adept at eating it. Bunting’s unfortunate “John Crow” remark, for which he has since apologised, certainly did not help, but only served to remind us of how easily we politicise very serious problems in this country.
Nowadays apologies are easy to give. It is not for me to question the sincerity of Bunting’s apology. Nor would I dissect his heart to find out how well meant his apology was, or to what extent it was a product of divine intervention. But it must be noted that politicians, especially when they bear the rank of minister, must be very careful of their utterances from public platforms. It is not the first, and certainly will not be the last time that unfortunate statements will be made from such a venue. But ministers of government must be particularly careful as they bear a greater responsibility than those he has within the confines of his political party. They represent Jamaica, and that is why we call them “honourable” even when they behave dishonourably.
Bunting’s remark is particularly important in the context of the violence that his work as minister of national security is supposed to eradicate. To even obliquely refer to anyone in Jamaica as a “John Crow” is in itself an incitement to violence. There is no context in which the imagery is used that will not invoke disgust on the part of the one so labelled. It is the worst kind of dismissal of any person or group that can be contemplated.
Much of the violence we experience is due to people’s dissatisfaction at being dissed. We are living in a very coarse and volatile society and such remarks ought to be avoided at all costs. Since he is given to divine sensibilities, Bunting, and others with responsibilities in the public sphere, would be well advised of the wise saying in the book of Proverbs that “a soft answer turns away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger”.
While Bunting was fulminating from a political platform, the murderous rampage of gunmen throughout the society, especially in the western end of the island, continued apace. Since the 1980 General Election, in which almost 800 people died as a result of political violence, the murder rate has been on an upward spiral. From 1980 to 2000 the character of political murders remained unchanged as the tribal conflict for power between the political parties intensified. As the criminal underworld was able to become more independent as a result of the proceeds of drugs and other criminal activities, there was a progressive decoupling of the underworld from the political parties. Donmanship in depressed communities became the order of the day to the extent that politicians, to have any clout in particular constituencies, had to court the loyalty of dons by the provision of contracts and other goodies.
Today, thanks to the work of the Electoral Commission, which has done a great job in tidying up the electoral process, the incentive of political violence and intimidation in the wholesale variety is no longer expedient. In a very weak and anaemic economy, politicians no longer command the largesse to satisfy the hungry horde of partisans who rely on their help. The dons have long found other lucrative means of survival through extortion, drugs and gunrunning, and racketeering. They are no longer dependent on the politician “to eat a food”.
So, the character of murders have changed, particularly so since the dawn of lotto scamming. Now murders are concentrated in particular communities in the west. All who deal or are associated with lotto scamming are at risk. As families have discovered, no one in the family — not even the family dog — is spared the vengeance of those who have been wronged in this nefarious activity. If people suspect the killings to be lotto scam-related, there is just a shrugging of the shoulders, or a sigh as to how brutal the society has become, but there is no visceral shock to the system about what has taken place. In fact, there is the smug satisfaction among some people that those in these activities are just. No one is safe if murderers are allowed to kill with impunity, even when their targets are clearly marked. Murders are not just an assault on civil liberties or civil society, but an assault on the conscience of a nation and a mockery of national institutions that should keep people safe and secure. The fact that we no longer are shocked by the brutal murders should be cause for concern. Those who murder will not cease their activities because people are shocked or not shocked about their activities. They will only stop when there is no pecuniary advantage to be gained from murdering. It is the citizens of a country working collaboratively with the security forces that can remove the incentive to murder from the hands of the murderers. This calls for more vigilance and more courting of help from our partners abroad. This is why the visit of the minister of national security to Washington is important. We await what he will come back with, but in the end it will be Jamaicans who have to curb crime and bring it down to manageable levels.
In the meantime, those who are vested with the authority to lead the fight must tone down the sickening rhetoric and leave the crows to do what they do best.
Dr Raulston Nembhard is a priest and social commentator. Send comments to: stead6655@aol.com