Michael Abrahams | What the hell is wrong with us?

Late last year, one of Jamaica's most talented female footballers, 20-year-old Reggae Girl Tarania 'Plum Plum' Clarke, was stabbed to death, allegedly by a female friend during an argument over a cell phone.

Clarke was no ordinary footballer. She was exceptional, having represented Jamaica at all levels (Under-15, Under-17, Under-20, and the senior Reggae Girlz team), in addition to having captained the Excelsior High School and Waterhouse Football Club teams. At the time of her death, she was preparing to attend Daytona College in Florida this month, to advance her education while furthering her football ambitions.

Her demise was truly senseless, and one would have thought that at least at her burial her body would be laid to rest in peace. Unfortunately, this was not the case. An altercation broke out at the burial site, resulting in the stabbing of an employee at the cemetery. It is alleged that gunmen from a nearby community, on hearing of the assault on one of their associates, turned up at the location and opened gunfire, disrupting the ceremony and further traumatizing the mourners.

This incident took place in late December 2019, and by the end of the month, there was another violent and disturbing incident that hit the headlines.

On New Year’s Eve, a 24-year-old woman, Chantel Whyte of Grey Ground in Manchester, was shot to death at her workplace by a man she allegedly was having a relationship with.

One more senseless killing. The murder saddened me, and a few days later an acquaintance showed me something on their cell phone that was even more disturbing. A member of a WhatsApp group she is a part of shared video footage of the murder. Apparently, the crime was recorded on a security video camera and showed the woman, sitting at a desk in a small room, being shot in her head multiple times at point blank range by the perpetrator, while another man in the room sat and witnessed her life being snuffed out. The two men subsequently exited the crime scene.

The video was upsetting to me on two levels.

Firstly, the image of someone being murdered is disturbing, to say the least. Secondly, the fact that I was seeing the video in a WhatsApp group meant I was not the only one to view it. The murdered woman left family and other loved ones behind, who are grieving, and seeing the video, and knowing that many others, including strangers, are viewing her last moments would surely intensify their grief.

I naively hoped that the gruesome footage would remain in the group, although I realized that my desire was unrealistic. Surely enough, the following day at my office, one of my co-workers asked me if I saw the video, which she too had seen. Later, I realized that the gruesome footage was “trending” and freely accessible on the Internet.

What the hell is wrong with us? Seriously!

SOCIETY OF VIOLENCE

We have a horrifyingly tremendous problem with aggression, violence and insensitivity. Our issues are well documented. We talk and lament about them incessantly, then continue being mere spectators. But we need to do way more than just talk. We need to act.

The truth is, we live in a society where violence is the go-to method for many to deal with conflicts and to punish children. We need to seriously assess our culture and the way we are socialized. The environment we are raised in has a significant influence on our personalities and attitudes when we attain adulthood. We must examine and explore solutions to deal with violence in homes, schools and communities.

We need more mentors for our youth. We need to teach our children empathy (yes, it can actually be taught). We must assess our penchant for embracing corporal punishment for even the slightest infraction.

A serious and sustained socio-cultural revolution is called for to reverse our thirst for violence and lack of empathy for those affected by it. It will not take place overnight, but it can be done. It requires engagement with lawmakers (those who construct laws and policies), members of our security forces (those who enforce our laws), parents and educators (those who spend much time influencing our youth) and clergy (who have captive audiences who will listen to them), among others.

Violence and aggression appear to be imprinted in our DNA. But our DNA can be positively altered if we have the desire and determination to effect the change.

- Michael Abrahams is a gynaecologist and obstetrician, comedian and poet. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and michabe_1999@hotmail.com, or tweet @mikeyabrahams