Devon Dick | On killing Jamaicans

A few weeks ago, I read a review of the book On Killing, written by Lt Col Dave Grossman and reviewed by Chris Yaw. This work is standard reading in American war colleges. It claims that humans have been reticent to harm a fellow human being. This was so in ancient wars up to World War II when 85 per cent of soldiers, when told to fire on the enemies, deliberately fired over their heads.

However, this has changed in the USA military with the recruitment of the younger soldiers who appear callous with Navy Seal, Eddie Gallagher, as the poster boy. Furthermore, 17 US soldiers, or ex-soldiers, commit suicide daily. USA warfare is getting uglier with no clear winners and perhaps has lessons for Jamaica’s high murder rate.

Therefore, Prime Minister Andrew Holness appears to be correct to commission a study on violence because it is possible that the pattern of killings and other major crimes has changed with new perpetrators of a younger age who are brutal and brazen, thereby needing a different plan.

NEW NORM

Carl Stone, revered sociologist, said the pattern of crime and violence changed and crime became a political act in the 1960s. Since then, there has been the Barnett Commission (1976); the Fraser Commission (1981); the National Advisory Council on Crime and Justice (1985-86); the Wolfe Report (1993); the National Task force on crime; and the National Committee on Political Tribalism (1997). In spite of these reports and the implementation of many recommendations and passing of new legislations, there has been little impact on the killing rate. In the 1960s, we had fewer than 1,000 killings; then in the 1970s it was 2,686; then in the 1980s, 4,287; then in the 1990s it was 8,186; then from 2000 to 2009 there were 13,403 murders, and from 2010 to October 25, 2019, 12,385 killings. Twelve thousand murders for the decade is the new norm. Obviously, we are missing a trick or two.

Furthermore, another commission is called for because declaring a state of emergency (SOE) is not working nationally. Prime Minister Andrew Holness is the PM that has called more SOEs than all previous PMs combined. The SOEs are showing signs of diminishing returns nationally and have lost their shock and awe effect. A TVJ newscast stated that killings increased up to November 2019, when compared to a similar period in 2018. The commission should pronounce on the effectiveness of SOE on the national murder rate and not just in the parishes where the SOE is declared. It should explore whether it is necessary to give up rights in order to attain safety. Can we have both freedom and security?

So, what else should be different? The composition of the commission. There should be a psychiatrist, sociologist, anthropologist, criminologist, police, educator, economist, music promoter, human rights activist, politician, lawyer, geographic information systems specialist and social worker. There needs to be a gender and age balance, including millennials. The methodology ought to include engaging crime hotspots. The commission should test the assumptions for killings such as revenge, robbery, gang, politics, economics, domestic and drugs. It must have some assumptions such as an emphasis on the recruitment of teenagers driving the high murder rate. In addition, are our producers of killings showing mental depression and have become suicidal?

Modern Jamaica has the reputation of violence, using threatening language and having a violent disposition, always ready to ‘dust out a bwoy’. Violence is a way of life at sporting events, workplace disagreements, family discussion, not to mention political discourse. Even some of our music promote violence and describe sexual intercourse like armed conflict.

And while we await this watershed work, there are things that need to be done NOW.

Rev Dr Devon Dick is pastor of Boulevard Baptist Church and author of Enduring Advocacy for a Better Jamaica; The Cross and the Machete and Rebellion to Riot: The Jamaican Church in Nation Building.