To be poor is indeed a crime

Friday, October 08, 2010

The veteran Reggae artiste Mr Freddie McGregor really couldn't have said it any better than he did in his song, To Be Poor Is A Crime. For although we suspect he was really referring to paucity of the pocket, it is an undeniable fact that in this society, poverty in any form — the mind, the spirit, one's values and attitudes — carries a sanction that can only be classified as a consequence of the severest crime.

When we find communities like Tucker in St James, which according to yesterday's edition of our sister title, the Observer West, is relying on its member of parliament, Mr Clive Mullings, to restore the footbridge that once provided the sole means of access to the main road, one really has to wonder how and why things get to be this way.

Only those with limited vision could have sanctioned the building of so many homes on terrain that is so obviously unsuited for residential accommodation in terms of its infrastructure.

Surely, the dangers of living in a community with a single entry/exit must be painfully obvious to all? Yet there it is — houses upon houses perched precariously on a mountainside that appears to be on the verge of crumbling. No matter how we choose to view it, it all comes down to poverty — poverty of intellect, assuming the houses were sanctioned by the municipal authorities; poverty of the State's regulatory machinery, assuming they were constructed illegally.

It's been almost a week now since the passage of Tropical Storm Nicole which ravaged, in addition to the Tucker bridge, several other aspects of the country's infrastructure. Yet we are still being flooded with reports that many communities remain cut off from main roads with very little idea as to when normalcy will be restored.

Major routes upon which much of the running of the country's business depends remain devastated, even as the obvious need for viable alternatives becomes even more so. The worst thing about all of this is that we're not out of the woods yet as far as the inclement weather is concerned.

What, God forbid, will happen if another storm hits us? According to the Meteorological Service of Jamaica in Wednesday's edition, the forecast for the island is an increase in showers and thunderstorms through the weekend, due to a broad area of low pressure over the eastern Caribbean.

How will the existing and planned infrastructure — the Bailey bridge that is to be installed in John's Hall, for example — hold up under this? Surely the plan can't be to replicate the bridges, roads and what not, and then just sit around waiting for them to crumble under the next onslaught of bad weather?

It is said that one of the surest signs of madness is to persist in a course of action that is guaranteed to produce a certain result, in the hope that said consequences will miraculously change. Depending on the context in which you look at it, the same might be said for poverty.

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COMMENTS (12)

Sean H.
10/29/2010

To be poor is a crime?
Crime is:
Capturing land, paying no taxes, building a 2 story house and when it collapses call on the govt
Having children without being able to take care of them ... then having even more.
Stealing electricity or water then when it is cut off demonstrate, block roads and complain that others are doing it and not caught
Getting caught operating illegal taxis then complain that police targeted you
Getting an NHT house & pay no mortgage
Using poverty as the universal excuse

K G
10/19/2010

No the crime is not being poor. The crime is being ignorant and poor. A poor man with knowledge can rectify his situation if the opportunity arises. Where as a poor and ignorant man even if the opportunity avails itself will be unable to see it.

Yard Vibz
10/8/2010

A very short piece for the severity of the magnified issue being addressed. Anyhow, I have underscored the statement which refers to our alarming deficiencies in the area of foresight. But a system which mirrors that of medieval Britain has to demonstrate signs & symptoms of the origin of its leaders’ cataract covered lenses. With all the tribulations & sacrifices that our deprived & oppressed citizens endure daily, they should be rewarded for their resilience which is far-fetched elsewhere.

Wilfred Gray
10/8/2010

The Hon. Marcus said,so@Marcus Garvey words!

Sonny Black
10/8/2010

The problem with Jamaicans MR. Editor is not poverty but rampant indiscipline. We simply has no regard for rules and regulation. We disregard building codes, we capture land and put up all kind of shack on Gully banks and we threaten those in the society who dares to try and correct the situation. Politicians dont care as long has they get the votes in elections.The way Jamaicans live cannot be described as poor, the poverty is the state of our minds, stuff our belly today and forget tomorrow

PL BOGLE
10/8/2010

We are participants in a society where the aspirations of the population & their leaders are lacking the lofty criteria. Even though our resources are not scarce to the extent that we cannot be innovative, we still find ourselves depending too much upon external ideas & advice. Yes, some may dispute that we are a 3rd world country but we should not be 3rd world in mind, will nor spirit. Probably we are too busy being preoccupied w/ our daily chores to bring forth our basic necessities? Nevertheless, as we proceed forward keeping our future generation in mind, we must plant the seed of self reliance to produce the understanding of growth & knowledge to know that we can achieve for our self !

Brooklyn Jamaican
10/8/2010

As long as we do things to so called protect the poor the poor will be with us. Because the slackness and so called leniency "poor" people can build 3 story houses on any piece of land their heart desires. I suspect people who are paying taxes and are "poor" could not be able to build such houses with cash money. We can't avoid certain tragedies. But stringent building permits and codes must be the order of the day

Paul Campbell
10/8/2010

The photo illustrating this article shows a two-story concrete structure. Could a POOR person have built that ? Can you imagine the hue and cry that would have ensued if the authorities had tried to stop the building of that house on that unsafe site ? Yes, the poor will be with us always, but so will indiscipline and the desire to "beat the system" which seems to be engrained in the Jamaican psyche.

David Armstrong
10/8/2010

The condition of poverty exists for three basic reasons: a natural process (such as being born into it); the inability or lack of desire to find opportunities; and the negative actions of those who hold power over them. If being poor is a crime then the crime must be attributed to the last reason. It is a crime when people exploit and neglect the plight of the poor. Not only are does it violate moral laws it also violates spiritual laws. Politicians usually are guilty of the exploitation and abuse of the poor simple because the poor has no voice or power. The only use the politicians have for the poor is to get their vote which they do on false promises.

Ray Stennett
10/8/2010

The thing that saddens me is the almost total callous disregard, leaders continue to show to poor people. The dishonesty is so rampart, it's now a sick joke. I am almost certain that these people were promised a better infrastructure to there community but in the end it's just a promise. Too many politicians take the people's trust for granted. They know that memory is short lived in an election time. They make empty promises and hope to cover it over with a little pork as a gift. How long....?

Ann Smith
10/8/2010

These bridges were constructed before motorized vehicles were on the road. The mode of transportation was by animals - horse and buggy, etc. How then can they expect the bridges to withstand the weight of heavy trucks and cars and also, with the passage of time, these bridges should have been raised.
I do not agree that it is a crime to be poor. The crime lies in not having the mechanism in place to enable people to get out of pverty. That is the responsibility of the government.

Ainsworth Cole
10/8/2010

The poor we have with us always the bible says, but what it doesn't say is the conditions or level of poverty that the poor has to live in or contend with. Lvels of poverty differs when compared to other countries, georaphical areas and icomes. The poor in say Canada or the UK might not be seen as so by Jamaican standards and so on, but no civilized society must leave its people at the mercies of facing death or serious damge to life and property if they can do better and we can do better

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GCT to go down, white rum prices going up

To be poor is indeed a crime