Letter of the Day | End the culture of glorifying criminality

THE EDITOR, Madam:

The Ministry of Culture must do more to help fight crime. In Jamaica, culture is the pulse beneath the reggae bass line, the Patois we speak, the dancehall riddims we move to, and, unfortunately, the wayward glorification of crime that has seeped into our collective psyche. If ‘culture is a way of life’, as anthropologists define it, then our way of life must change.

Many argue that crime is a result of poverty, but this claim warrants scrutiny. The poorest countries often exhibit the opposite trend: Niger, for example, ranks among the least violent nations despite having a GDP per capita that would make the average Jamaican shudder. A 2021 United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime report revealed that while Latin America and the Caribbean had the highest murder rates globally, sub-Saharan Africa — a region with far greater poverty — showed markedly lower levels of violence.

The vast majority of the poor do not commit crimes. The single mother selling ground provisions at Coronation Market, the fisherman casting his net in Old Harbour Bay, the schoolteacher walking miles to work, these are not the perpetrators of violence. So, if poverty alone isn’t to blame, what explains the corruption and criminality that flourish in high society? What justifies the existence of white-collar crime, where wealth abounds yet greed knows no bounds?

Our culture of crime, disturbingly akin to Sicily’s history of murder and revenge, has deep roots. Donmanship, with its twisted moral code and Robin Hood allure, has long been romanticised. Dancehall music risks becoming a death cult, celebrating murder as though it were a rite of passage. The lyrics glorify gunman-ism while the visuals in music videos fetishise violence. But it is not just the men who are lost in this quagmire. Toxic femininity, ‘sketelism’, and prostitution — now digitised – are eroding the moral fabric of our society. In the quest for quick money and fleeting fame, we are sacrificing our dignity.

Oligarchy and nepotism run rampant in our political and corporate systems, reinforcing corruption at every level. The ‘big man’ culture, where connections supersede competence, stifles the aspirations of those who dare to rise on merit alone. This is why Jamaica must embrace meritocracy — an ethic that rewards excellence, discipline, and integrity. We must let go of the tribalism that has divided us for decades and instead strive for collective progress.

We must also reject the glorification of mediocrity and criminality. It is time to stop romanticising dons and gunmen, to end the fetishisation of violence in our music, and to curb the descent of dancehall into chaos. Let us not forget that art imitates life, and life imitates art. If our creative expressions celebrate destruction, then destruction will become our reality.

The road ahead will not be easy. Crime is deeply entrenched, and cultural shifts take time. We must demand accountability from our leaders and reject corruption in all its forms.

YANNICK PESSOA