A vile attack on the Jamaican State

Page one editorial

Monday, May 24, 2010

The obviously co-ordinated strikes on four police stations in West Kingston by criminal gunmen yesterday represent a vile attack on the State that this newspaper strongly condemns.

That the lumpen gunmen also torched one of the police stations -- that in Hannah Town -- and fired on policemen who were clearing roadblocks in West Kingston demonstrate their utter disregard for law and order, and flies in the face of the very responsible and tolerant approach that the police have so far taken in their effort to execute an arrest warrant on Mr Christopher 'Dudus' Coke.

Based on police reports that gangsters from other communities outside of Kingston and St Andrew have gone into Tivoli Gardens, supposedly to give support to Mr Coke and his defenders, it is clear that his tentacles spread far and wide, and his influence is very strong.

But that influence, we maintain, resides with the minority of Jamaicans, and as such the majority, law-abiding among us need to make a united stand against the terrorism that these riffraffs seek to unleash on the country.

It is against that background that we endorse the limited State of Public Emergency that has been imposed on Kingston and St Andrew by the Government.

While we support the measure giving the security forces additional powers of search and arrest, we caution the law enforcers to utilise these powers with responsibility. For just one case of abuse of a citizen will erode the gains the security forces have made over the past few days with the way they have handled this extradition matter.

However, we urge the security forces to use this opportunity to clean up the mess that has stained this country for too many years. And in doing so, they need to ignore the politicians -- on both sides -- who have more than proven to us that they have no idea, if any desire, to deal effectively with crime.

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COMMENTS (23)

Norman Haley
6/6/2010

The Criminals are still on the run with their weapons because Mr Coke was advise that the security was on it's way The real gunmen get away with all the big guns what a shame. Mr Golding should do the right thing and resigned to make an atonement to the Nation.

Jacqueline Samms
6/2/2010

We keep talking about politicians dealing with crime, when are we going to get it? those are the people who benefit from crime be it directly or indirectly there fore we have to call and insist upon an amendment to the constitution that will benefit the country and not those shameless crooks we call politicians.

Yaadman in DC
5/24/2010

The security forces may not be able to defend us due to our (the people's) choice of electing criminal goverments over and over who at the appointed time act only in their own interest. If shots are blazing on Hanna Town and the police ran out of bullets to save themselves what makes anyone think they will be able to come to your rescue in whichever place you are, updown or downtown. I am sorry but there are probably a few hundred of these scondrels roaming the place. Give a couple hundred thousand of us citizens the right arms and we will set them straight. You cannot stop bullets with nice talk friends. Right now, at this tiime we need resources to tackle these animals. My suggestion would be for a true citizens reserve of about 200,000 well armed citizens.

Peter Tosh
5/24/2010

golding must go

JA Cynic
5/24/2010

The attacks are continuing because the state is weak, lacking in leadership and deficient in political will.Every little frias will use the opportunity to profile. The police has expended thousands of rounds of ammunition and not hit even one bird. They have not even recovered one sand bag. It would be hard to resist the conclusion that the police were giving gun salutes.
JA Cynic

Alloy T
5/24/2010

What kind of sangki bruce ah sing! We will repel criminals; when he as the PM of Jamaica was openly defending and protecting an alleged criminal, and the government which he heads supply this criminal with over $100 million of tax-payers hard earn money. The 'Driva" has breached the regulations that governs him holding a licence to drive, and as such, his licence must be revoked.
We bought into "The change is coming now...;" but mi neva know seh ah da change yah him did mean.
Mi and mi neighbour did vote fi labour. But now, mi and mi neighbour ah run from labour!

norma williams
5/24/2010

This is what we get by having systems in place which maintain the status quo. A status quo instituted by colonial thought: persons having to take exams to move on to high school,colleges and universities. This is a screening process that has allowed many persons with potential to be robbed of the of the opportunity of an education up to tertiary level. Societies with educated individuals are stable and productive. But the egotistical leaders whether they be political or otherwise are hell bent on maintaining the elevated positions attained by they and their cronies.
All they want to know is that the status quo is maintained. Get our people, not just youths, educated. It was so embarrassing to see the woman with the placard saying she will die for Dudus; absolute ignorance; I despair for her children and others like her.
Take a different approach: open more schools and colleges and not more prisons and police stations. Give people hope not despair!!!

Wilfred Gray
5/24/2010

let follow america orders,for the treaty more important, than our sovereignty..and let `niggas, kill each others, of to please them and let us, al al be ahppy be doing doing it..for `to tell `em no` is so hard to do...

Angie Holness
5/24/2010

Where is the army? why is it these criminals are allowed to run freely. 8 police was shot 2 died, did any of the gunmen got shot or died? What is happening in my sweet Jamaica land of my birth. ETERNAL FATHER BLESS OUR LAND...........

howie J
5/24/2010

“To thine own self be true.” – Polonius
When man is the criterion by which we measure our morality that means we hold man at a higher standard than God. It is for this reason why Jamaica still has a very serious morality issue and after this is over things will return to their normal corrupt state. We had to be backed into a corner to do that which is right. Why couldn’t we have solved this problem ourselves?

aston archer
5/24/2010

planning in fear will inevitably bring a fearful response. that much we have seen with the Tivoli situation

John Smith
5/24/2010

I don't know - I find this and your "commission of enquiry" editorial to be at slight odds. Unless in the other editorial you're asking rhetorical questions? Here you seem to be mentioning "gains" made by the police in the last few days in their handling of the matter, but in the other editorial you're questioning the wisdom of their 'hands off' approach to the whole thing. Don't tell mi oonuh a get Two-Face-Bruce syndrome Observer?! In any event let's really hope it's not as bad as some conspiracy theorists would suggest. Cause then surely the police would be looking to extradite the wrong criminal (or set thereof).

Norman Johnson
5/24/2010

This Medusa like evil that has shown its nasty head, has been with us for a long time and in many cases nurtured by some of us. We defend the wrong whether directly or indirectly and in the same breath, being offensive against the right.
What we are seeing today are the bitter consequences of our actions or inactions. We as a people must take responsibility for the things we do, no matter how small they are; ‘change our course’ and find our way back home.
We need to form a united front against corrupt politicians, dons and evil. We as a society like too much ‘freeness’. When we don’t steal, we beg or we sponge off others and look to government to do everything for us. This then forms a loop hole for the givers to take advantage. Lets us free our minds and break free from this type of dead end mentality, which leads to this type of evil among us.
We need to be more real about this issue.

John Curious Public
5/24/2010

"we urge the security forces to use this opportunity to clean up the mess that has stained this country for too many years"
.
POST HASTE

A. Croft
5/24/2010

As you recite the glorious accomplishments of Jamaicans you did not mention the politicians with no social concience.
How are contracts awarded? What requirements are placed on these contracts to ensure that a certain number of people are hired and paid according to a specified guideline?
Who follows up on these contracts to ensure that they are being carried out as stated?
Are the contractors keeping the bulk of the money for their own profit? Are they being unreasonable in their distributions of payments to others who do the work?
Is there a severe imbalance in wealth distribution?
Do they live way, way better than most Jamaicans?
Are they arrogant and self centered? Are they getting rich and looking down on Jamaicans of lesser wealth?
It is time to flip the coin and look at the other side of things and make changes. Changes that will better the people's lives.
People who speak out are "not bleeding hearts". They see the unfairness; they do not look the other way.

Wa Tch
5/24/2010

This is deserving of widespread condemnation.
The question is: Did it have to come to this?

Jaye Stone
5/24/2010

Why refer to the gunmen by their position in society? That's what the word "lumpen" refers to. Do you have other types of gunmen? Lumpen could also refer to some of our politicians since it also means "mentally sluggish".

Paul Lewis
5/24/2010

What can I say, words fail me right now.....if ever there was a doubt that Jamaica is on the brink of destruction. Watching the response of the Security Forces and the poor excuse for a Gov't. does not bring reassurance that conditions can ever return to any semblance of civility. The sorry speech by Bruce Golding sounded as the response of a demoralized, defeated and inept " leader ". All the apologists of both Parties, can now engage in their useless finger-pointing and condemnation, for they have all contributed to our shame.

Donarene Henry
5/24/2010

Living in Barbados I am bombarded with negative comments about the state of my country. Still I am very optimistic because I am confident that things will have to change. There has never been a time in history where evil was allowed to exist unabated. Whether by an act of god, nature or self implosion, a change has to come. Jamaica is too blessed to be agonizing like this. We have been given the most beautiful country in the world (physically) and the most talented people worldwide so it must be for a reason. Before the 1920, Norman Manley was listed as a Rhode Scholar. We had the late great scholar Prof. Rex Nettleford, Bob Marley's, One Love, was instituted as the Song of the Millennium, by the BBC. Annually, since the early 1980s, we have Jamaicans winning Grammy awards, a prestigious award that many are aspiring for. We are a land of legends: Lecky (Scientist), Cassidy (Linguist), Bustamante (States Man) and home of one of the most preeminent Universities in the world. Jamaica Up.

ESTEBAN AGOSTO REID
5/24/2010

Well said, Mr. Editor !!

george watson
5/24/2010

I just can’t imagine just how much more constrained the security forces can be than they were yesterday. In the face of open defiance and “up in your face,” intransigence they were calm throughout. How can civilians be out in the streets in the midst of such gunfire, apparently unafraid? It is obvious that they have no regard for their own or the lives of their children so what we can we expect from them as far as ours go?
The architects of this community and others like them who did so to perpetuate themselves in power will by now realize that everything on this earth is transitory and should hang their heads in shame. BUT PROBABLY THEY HAVE NO CONSCIENCE, AND THEREIN LIES THE RUB. Long after they are dead and probably forgotten the people of these communities will pose a threat not only to themselves but to the rest of the nation. I HOPE THAT MAKES THEM PROUD.
They won’t be forgotten though. History will not treat them kindly and like the cow that gives the proverbial bucket of milk and then kicks it over so will their legacy long live on in infamy.
Jack Mandora mi don’t call any name/s.

Chuck Emanuel
5/24/2010

Now it has even become much clearer why outside intervention by the U.S. in terms of the provision of the expertise of Gorilla warfare which is needed to neturalize these scum-bags (Political directorate, terrorists and some members of Leadership in the police force).
All of these persons by sitting and watching have further contributed to undermine the state.
I do not know much about the integrity of the new Police Commissioner, however from what I have seen of his Leadership Capacity in terms of planning and execution makes me quite uncomfortable and suspicious of his behaviour in this crisis.
Is the Commissioner just another person from a corrupt system, who begged for this job, or was placed in this job to don't "rock the boat ?.
Or does he have to wait for his orders from the weak Minister of National Security and a Government who aids and abets criminals ?.
There seems to be some strange developements here.

Brooklyn Jamaican
5/24/2010

On point

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A vile attack on the Jamaican State