NOWADAYS, Jamaica reminds me of a company that is going out of business and so has put up everything for sale. What is frightening in this scenario is that it is not only the country’s physical assets that are being disposed of but its morals, principles, heritage and, yes, its people – hundreds of whom have been brutally murdered since the start of the year.

Thanks to slavery and colonialisation as well as an education system that has not paid enough attention to the “smadditisation” of the Jamaican people, we now have a schizophrenic society which is perhaps best embodied in the popular expression, “Jamaica, no problem, mon”, that is used rather glibly within the hospitality industry. This situation becomes even more intriguing when viewed against the background of the demographics with respect to homicides: while the natives continue to butcher one another unabated, there has hardly been any instance of tourists being killed. Talk about a split personality!

Not that I am suggesting for one moment that we should start to eliminate visitors to our island home, but the potent question that must be asked is, how come Jamaicans have not been able to relate to their fellow citizens in the same warm, kind, hospitable way that they treat foreigners? The excessive brutality that is being shown towards one another is almost indescribable and boggles the mind. Indeed, it has now become the norm to slash throats, behead victims and burn them. How much more wicked can we get as a people? Not to mention that women, children and the elderly are not spared when our marauders go on the warpath.

Amidst this entire bloodbath, two glaring scenarios have emerged – jungle justice which is being meted out by gangsters or angry citizens and killings execution-style carried out by certain members of the police force and army. In this setting, it has become blatantly clear that most Jamaicans have very little faith or confidence in the justice system which is too slow and is perceived to be riddled with corruption as well as skewed towards those who are in a position to engage high-priced lawyers and have friends in high places.

It is no secret that in most inner-city communities it is the area don or gang leader that is judge, jury and executioner. And this approach towards dispute resolution is fast taking root in the minds of both those who are sworn to uphold the law while protecting human rights and civilians who are fed up with the system. That is why I have hesitated to wholeheartedly support the proposal being put forward by the Bruce Golding administration and some concerned citizens that we should be prepared to put up with certain “inconveniences” (which in essence means that we should allow for some of our basic rights to be abused or pushed aside) in order to allow the security forces to flush out, apprehend and/or eliminate the hardened criminals in our midst.

This is but one of the many knee-jerk reactions that continue to come from successive governments who have had a penchant for setting up numerous task forces, committees and crime-fighting units while moving at a snail’s pace with respect to the passing of various legislations to ensure a more effective and sustainable crime strategy. The classic case of too much analysis that has led to a paralysis of political will continue to haunt us.

Of course, the resolution to this horrifying problem of crime must start with two very important elements – leadership and oversight. Courageous, visionary leadership is emboldened by integrity and a sincerity of purpose must be the order of the day among all those who are called upon to tackle this gargantuan monster. Our politicians, the police, civil society as well as the church must come together and speak with one voice – not with forked tongues. There is far too much hypocrisy surrounding this vexing matter. Most politicians know more than they are prepared to divulge and even though many of them have become marginalised by the criminal elements in their respective communities, they are still in a position to play a pivotal role in taming this dragon.

In the course of going after the criminals, there are far too many cases of alleged police brutality, corrupt legal practices and the wanton infringement of citizens’ rights without any redress. The many oversight bodies that now exist should be placed under one umbrella to make them more efficient as well as effective. Such an oversight body should include a prosecutor general who can act independently and is therefore able to enforce the law as well as execute justice without fear or favour.

The problem with Jamaica is that too many of us are in perpetual denial while others are forever seeking escape routes, chief among which is migration. Now that the Dudus affair has created the perception (though denied) that it has become more difficult to get a United States visa, this may turn out be a blessing in disguise in that the more that Jamaicans find themselves with their backs against the wall, it is the more likely that they will get off their butts and fight back.

The “passa passa” mentality which encourages Jamaicans to forget their troubles and dance, which is yet another vestige of slavery, must be replaced by a fervent willingness of all well-thinking Jamaicans to become a part of the solution and not just remain a part of the problem. But how is this going to be achieved when the government of the day has no moral authority? Let’s face it: the way in which the Golding administration has handled the extradition request of Christopher “Dudus” Coke from the US State Department has compromised its ability to take the moral high ground.

So where do we go from here? Do we continue to live like Alice in Wonderland, Jamaica, no problem, mon? Here is a quotation from Alice: “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there.” Where is this JLP regime taking Jamaica? Never-Never Land? And where would the Opposition PNP like to take us should it regain state power? The Land of Make Believe?

Nothing short of a revolution can save Jamaica at this time. It is for those who lead or want to lead to decide what type of revolution they want. In any event, a revolution now appears inevitable.

lloydbsmith@hotmail.com