Jamaica: Creeping closer to anarchy

The Gleaner (Jamaica) ^ | March 9, 2006

[Stoat]

Creeping closer to anarchy
published: Thursday | March 9, 2006

THE SEEMINGLY random slaughter of our people, including children in the full bloom of youth; the violent attacks on citizens from all walks of life across the length and breadth of Jamaica, and the apparent inability of the security forces to halt or even retard the rate of killings are raising public anxiety and the feeling that the society is moving closer to anarchy.

In response to the various brutal attacks, we have collectively expressed anger and outrage, condemnation and denunciation, but until and unless the justice system is seen to be working in a way to make appropriate examples of the criminals among us, more and more people will feel obliged to take matters into their own hands. Many of our people who have never been hesitant to implement their own form of mob justice are less likely to exercise restraint when they have reason to believe there are criminal suspects among them. The anger displayed in Morant Bay recently after a man was detained in connection with the slaughter of a family of five, including three children, points to a simmering anger. The society is on edge.

As we have said repeatedly in articles on this page, the security forces need the help of citizens of goodwill to flush out the criminals from the various communities. But once again we must press the point that the security forces have to redouble their own efforts in investigating crime. At this stage we can take little comfort in the police trotting out statistics telling us that the rate of crime is showing a downward trend. It is still much too high.

Increasingly, too, citizens have to take greater responsibility for their own safety. Some of the crimes being committed seem so random and arbitrary that there is very little that the police can do or could have done in the circumstances to prevent them. But at the very least, to the extent that there is some closure resulting from arrests and eventual conviction, is the extent to which the society can have an assurance that all is not lost. We must all play our part to prevent total anarchy.

The attacks on defenceless children are particularly heinous and no effort must be spared in bringing their killers to justice.

[Stoat]

More from Jamaica:

Jamaica A student who cannot spell 'cat'!(H.S. teacher exposes breathtaking extent of edu. crisis)

Jamaica Gang warfare shuts down Vauxhall High (And you thought crime was bad where you live)

[vimto]

And so it goes.... tragic

"robbing and a stabbing and a looting and a shooting" ...Johnny Too Bad.

"Police and thieves in the street, spoiling the nation with their guns and ammunition" Junior Marvin

[Joe Boucher]

I have friends that have gone to the nation and have to stay behind the fenced areas of their vacation playgrounds for fear of getting kidnapped or killed. Why go at all other then for the ganja?
Poor is the word. Not poor like Haiti but still REAL poor.

[zbigreddogz]

Hmm...

I'm in Grad School with a guy from Jamaca. He's easily one of the most brilliant people in our program. I wonder how he got so well educated with all of this stuff going on? I'll have to ask him.

[Chi-townChief]

"Dem a loot, dem a shoot, dem a wail in Shanty Town"

[GeorgefromGeorgia]

I understand that if you are planning a trip to the Caribbean, Jamaica is a dangerous place to go. I have heard from people that took cruises that crime is very bad there, and the people have a real case of attitude against Americans.

[Chi-townChief]

I had a girlfriend who was from Jamaica back in the 70s and I wouldn't even go there with her (which didn't go over too well.)

[MrPiper]

Does anyone know if CCW is illegal here? (Concealed Carry Weapon)

[Loyalist]

And this is what our liberal hand-wringers in Toronto, who otherwise obsess about the root causes of gun violence, go out of their way to ignore.

The riffraff of Jamaica land here by the planeload to open up a northern front in their gang wars.

[finnigan2]

I have worked with Jamaican immigrants in the past and our city has a sizable population of them. They seem to come in two varieties: the very decent, religious types and the chip- on- the- shoulder violent gang member types.
Regardless, I have heard enough anecdotal evidence from friends who have been there and from travel agents that I wouldn't spend a holiday there. There are enough islands which offer a safe vacation experience without spending money in a location where you have to lock yourself inside a hotel compound after dark and where even in daylight you have to be very careful where you go.
It's a bit like New York/Harlem. A taxi driver there once pointed out the streets where, as a white, I shouldn't venture across. As a visitor I had no idea that these no-go zones had such sharp borders. It's the same in Jamaica - only with even more of a chance of encountering violence if you inadvertently wind up on the wrong side of the street.

[GeorgefromGeorgia]

Remember the scene in the movie "Vacation" where Chevy Chase and family take the wrong exit off the freeway (around St. Louis).

[Guenevere]

I have some very dear friends who escaped..yes, escaped from Jamaica during the 70's.....when Socialism/Communism was rearing its ugly head.

They were living comfortably, due to hard work and owning their own farm & store, a bit of land, etc.....

..Because the father wouldn't cowtow to demands of town authority thugs......he was gun downed in his own home....and his wife & 3 children escaped.

He barely survived---nursed by a relative who had her own left leanings, but loved him.

The mom & 3 children managed to leave with essentially the clothes on their backs and fly out in a small plane.

Later, the husband joined them....

.and they became productive, hard working, Godly, conservative, American loving folks!...And still are!

Whenever I hear the wife tell the story I am in tears.....

...you can't imagine how harrowing it was.

And the father is the kindest, gentlest, hard working-est fella you would want to meet.

They've gone on to own and manage a small company ...and are doing well.

[wolfcreek]

Problems in Rasta-land? Ya mon!

[Guenevere]

...and their son served honorably and well during Desert Storm!

[Carry_Okie]

IIRC, Jamaica has full gun control.

[Kenton]

I understand that if you are planning a trip to the Caribbean, Jamaica is a dangerous place to go. I have heard from people that took cruises that crime is very bad there, and the people have a real case of attitude against Americans.

I've been there six times, and one of the nicest things about Jamaica has been the people. They are almost universally friendly. A lot of Americans are put off by their aggressiveness in trying to get you to look at their goods, but they're not going to hurt you, and will leave you alone if you just tell them no.

They do have a lot of crime problems in Kingston, but the north shore of the island is where most of the tourists go, and it's pretty safe.

If you stick to the north coast cities, like MoBay and Ocho Rios, you won't have any problems. But don't get off a cruise ship and start wandering around the slums of Kingston...

[Moonman62]

Why go at all other then for the ganja?

If it's got anarchy and ganja, then it sounds like the Libertarians could set up their free state there.

[Kenton]

Does anyone know if CCW is illegal here? (Concealed Carry Weapon)

Guns are banned from civilians, period. The security forces carry assault rifles.

This has contributed to the visciousness of the Kingston drug gangs, because if you are caught with a gun (or even a bullet), the cops will just shoot you.

Kingston "posses" do carry guns, and will premptively shoot a cop if they get stopped, because they know what will happen if they don't shoot first.

These are the guys that make up the violent Jamaican drug gangs in big American cities.

They are NOT typical of the Jamaicans I know, who are mostly a gentle, friendly people.

But with regard to your questions' probably intent, I don't know how honest Jamaicans can protect themselves, being totally disarmed as they are. Machetes maybe.

[Clemenza]

Actually New York/Harlem is rather safe these days.

[Joe Boucher]

I'm not going there. I barely go to the bahamas and only for offshore fishing. Never having to go through customs. They come to us.
Hell, i refuse to go to several cities in full anarchist state. Camden, Baltimore, Detroit to name a few.