LAST week’s news was an assault on our spirits and sanity. In quick succession, we were mourning a 14-year-old girl from St Thomas hacked to death, three children lost in a fire set by a deranged arsonist in Kingston, and a two-year-old and her mother shot to death in St James. That’s right, this all happened in one week, in our small country.

Here is a suggestion: Take away the security of every single politician so they can no longer be protected from the monsters they have helped to create. They need to step away from those cool vehicles and bodyguards. They need to step out and feel the heat rising from the long-neglected garrison communities. Then, and only then, will they become wonderfully focused on the vulnerability of their people.

In recent months, we have seen busloads of orange and busloads of green heading to party conferences, and their behaviour has been identical: erratic driving and supporters hanging from doors and windows. In all the years it has not changed, and if our leaders will not agree on better conduct on the campaign trail, how can they expect this nation to advance?

I have several friends in politics, on both sides, who went in to serve and are genuinely trying to change the system from the inside. However, last week’s tragedies have taken us to the point reached by that character in Network who got the whole neighbourhood shouting, “I’m mad as hell and I won’t take this anymore!” Those who are sincere about serving our people must stand up now and be counted. How did we not hear about an emergency press briefing this weekend, with State, National PTA, church, private sector, JTA, all our leaders mapping out an urgent plan to protect each and every child in this nation.

Our country is too small for anyone to say it cannot be done. We have over 60 MPs, over 200 councillors and more churches per square mile than any other country in the world…and still we cannot bring law and order to three million people? Clearly, it is because we have made some cynical choices; expending more energy on the pursuit of power than on the protection of our people.

In the names of 14-year-old Kayalicia Simpson of Donald Quarrie High, nine-year-old Abigail Reid of Iris Gelly Primary School, 15-year-old Leonard Morris of Excelsior High School, 18-year-old Bebeto Harris of Tarrant High School, and two-year-old Saskia Mullings, let us demand a safer society for our children. To those sincere folks in the ministries and agencies, who may be afraid to speak up for fear of victimisation, please know that there are trusted reporters who will help to get the truth out.

As we expect government and church to quickly organise groups to monitor communities, street corners and families with poor parental support, let us also look at the conditions that have brought us to this pass.

This column has quoted before the findings of Professor Kwame McKenzie, who gave a lecture at the Medical Association of Jamaica’s annual symposium in 2013, and I now repeat a part of what was said.

The medical director at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and professor of psychiatry at the University of Toronto, Canada, Professor McKenzie shared some revealing insights. He said that a five-year study revealed that, while having a close relative with schizophrenia was a contributing factor in contracting the illness, there were other significant risk factors (I listened with rising dread):

* People who smoked 50 joints of cannabis before 18 have triple the risk.

* Children who were separated from their parents for one year or more before the age of 15 had a similarly dramatic increased risk.

* Being born in the city and raised in a stressful environment

* Social adversity and bullying in childhood

As we read these factors, we realise the sick minds that Jamaica’s stressful environment has produced, and come to realise how they are endangering our children. It was reported that the alleged arsonist who caused the death of the three siblings was an uncle of unsound mind, who is now in police custody. Two 14-year-olds, the one killed last week and another in Westmoreland a month ago, had been impregnated allegedly by older men in their respective communities. The incident which took the life of the two-year-old and her mother was caused by a name-calling episode, it was reported.

Night after night, the only folks on the news trying to keep law and order are our police officers. The politicians are too busy fighting among themselves and offering us comedic episodes from the House. There are about 10,000 police officers, a small percentage of the 120,000-strong Administration. Let us hear more from them on the role they are playing to safeguard the lives of our children.

Rose Leon Lecture by Bruce Golding

One woman who stepped out of her comfort zone to contribute to the development of her country was Rose Leon, youngest Chairman of a political party, and the only woman to have served in the Cabinets of both the JLP and the PNP. Former Prime Minister Bruce Golding, who gave the annual Rose Leon Memorial Lecture last Monday, recalls that she and her husband founded their business in the 1930s and that she entered active politics in the 1940s.

He said that, as local government minister in 1952, Rose Leon tackled the rebuilding of Jamaica which had been devastated by Hurricane Charlie. He said she insisted that the new houses should be made of reinforced concrete and that many of them are still standing today as testimony to her vision. I remember interviewing the legendary Madame Rose who told me how she literally walked through communities, identifying ownership of land and organising for housing developments.

As he explained the centuries-old local government system, Golding supported the continuation of our parish councils, while recommending reforms to ensure that responsibility and authority would be aligned.

Congrats outstanding women!

We continue our celebration of International Women’s Day this week, and congratulate Audrey Hinchcliffe Jamaica’s “queen of hygiene”, founder of Manpower Maintenance Limited, who was honoured in Montego Bay yesterday. The Women’s Leadership Initiative, founded by former US Ambassador Sue Cobb will this evening honour EU Ambassador Paola Amadei, educator Dr Polly Bowes-Howell, artist Laura Facey-Cooper, environmental scientist Eleanor Jones, business leaders Marjory Kennedy and Thalia Lyn, Inter-American Development Bank Country Representative to Jamaica Therese Turner-Jones, and Commander Antonette Wemyss-Gorman of the Jamaica Defence Force. Because of their perseverance, we can continue to hope. Gratitude!

lowriechin@aim.com

www.lowrie-chin. blogspot.com