Waste of time!
Wake up this morning and am reading the newspaper on line. I see this article in the Observer. Dem planning a motorcade for peace on the 60th anniversary of Bob Marley’s birth! You all may say I’m a pessimist, but I say is a waste of time.
Look people, there have been countless numbers of prayer breakfasts, vigils, bawl outs…. where socialites, people in the clergy, business people and government officials attend these functions. Their intention….hoping to reduce the amount of violent crime inna de country. Far as I see it, the effects of such activities come to nought.
Now, don’t get me wrong…if you want to pray, go ahead. But the way I see it, solving crime in this country requires more than a few big names seeing themselves on the front page of the newspaper or TV. We have to empower those who carry out the evil deeds by providing them with education, jobs etc. We haffi eradicate the drug trade and the insect dem that live off of it. We need to take the power back from the Dons. We need people in government with credibility. We need a Police Force that people feel confident to call upon when they are in need of protection.
If we don’t get that, then all this effort in planning motorcade, bawl out, prayer breakfasts etc really just doh amount to anything more than flatus if you ask me. Yeah, you let off a good one and feel irie for a few moments after, but its really not a sustained effect is it? In a while there will be more to get rid of….or is that just my experience?
What do you all feel? Is it just me that feels this way? Am I seeing things the wrong way? Do you feel I’m lacking in faith? Come on, is nuff years now that this country has been looked on as the slaughterhouse of the Caribbean. What do you feel is the answer? I’m willing to hear anything you suggest, but, sorry, me naw defend nuh motorcade a ra$$!
I gone go get ready for work. Hope this week is good for you and yours.
January 31st, 2005 at 8:19 am Hi D. D. Totally agree with you regarding the motorcade for peace. Nice gesture but not the solution. I believe we need to increase pay and benefit structure/incentives for the police force hopefully decreasing corruption. It’s dangerous, rough job being on the police force in Ja. As far as the government officials, well hopefully voting will help in choosing the best of the lot. Corruption run deep though.
January 31st, 2005 at 8:24 am I agree with you doc, dem ya sinting not working. Education, jobs and anything that will occupy the mind and time of these individual is the way forward. Man of family and no means to provide for them and therefore in time their attention will turn to crime as a means of providing for thier family.
January 31st, 2005 at 9:00 am Sunshine made a good point about incentives to de police, an’ strainer also made a good point about crime bein’ a CAREER to provide for some J’can families. Takin’ power from de Dons is prob’ly de ROUGHEST task de gov’t coulda face right now, but you’re right, they have to take away that power, or JA will continue to be a slaughter-house.
January 31st, 2005 at 10:08 am I agree with the comments above as well Doc but again easier said than done because most of these dons carry very high political affiliations. In some cases they are supported by the politicians. So we actually need to start a bit higher up the food chain when we are getting rid of things
January 31st, 2005 at 10:28 am I is new on ya… but mi have one question fi unu… do you really think these demon-spawn CARE? I mean really - even if them get opportunities for jobs, they don’t CARE. Their humanity is gone… it’s sport and entertainment to rob, murder and wreak mayhem… I think the problem goes much deeper than economic. I think we have a genuine in-grained, cultural and psychological problem here now. And honestly, I have no clue what will help us now. *sigh* Den cyan motorcade and pray till kingdom come - it nah wrerk. When I think of those on the streets who shun progressive assistance (like the man who begged me in N/Kgn and when I handed him a patty him cuss mi out tell mi seh him nuh want nuh &$^#& patty, him want dollas!), I have to wonder if tings done gone too bad. I do beg yuh paadon fi de fatalism… but my cynicism is at an all time low these days.
January 31st, 2005 at 11:50 am powerful words man. Think we need someone like you to run the country. Serious thing! You have some good points. Motorcade aint changing one thing. Pure pomp and pagentry but not getting to the route causes or dealing with the lawless individuals. That is what needs to be done.
January 31st, 2005 at 12:39 pm Why wait until Bob’s B-day to have a motorcade of peace when Rita already said that she’s taking his remains away from de island. What happens after the motorcade is over? The socialities, politicians and musicians go back home to their big houses behind the gates and the violence continues. I think the country needs to educate the youth and have some other programs and outlets for them to express themselves. Grassroots operations inna de ghettos is wha’t needed to control the violence.
January 31st, 2005 at 8:58 pm Deep shit… Me nuh have the answer. Or at least I doh love the answer me have. Mek me gwaan ponder.
January 31st, 2005 at 11:35 pm LOL! I started laughing when I saw “bawl outs”. I’m with you on this one Doc.
February 1st, 2005 at 6:56 am Doc, like the others I agree with you. However, in addition to improving the economic means for most of the population to be engaged in work of one form or another, I believe that all Jamaicans need to become responsible for their part in nation building. That is: we need to return to basics beginning with the smallest social unit -family. Evidently, children live what they learn and if we continue to have irresponsible parenting, then the cycle of violence will continue no matter what we do. Have you ever wondered why our women and men are so aggressive? Perhaps it’s because they learnt it from their parents. Everything begins in the home and as long as we continue to legitimise dysfunctional family structures and ill-prepared parent(s), then we are lost. And, that includes those people who believe that single parenting is fashionable. I for one will be no darn sperm donor to any woman. The universe was built with a certain balance and that is an important element to maintain in all our lives. The solution is not easy to implement, but if we are honest and acknowledge the truth and tackle the root of the problem, then we might just make a start and save what we have left of Jamaica. More power to your for doing your part to make JA a better place Doc. Keep up the good work!
February 1st, 2005 at 2:14 pm Hey Doc, good words still. From everyone’s writing I can tell that Jamaica is in a Catch-22. If we give them the opportunities, they won’t take it, since it’s easier (and more lucrative) to shoot a man or sell a key than to make an honest buck working for the “man”. It’s a sad day when you realize that the entire value system is messed up in the mind of the criminal, and the worst part is that they breed more criminals…who’s to blame? The gov’t done gone fucked up our shit in the 60s-80s, so they planted the seeds and now they can’t do nothing about it (excuse the foul language).