In the period following the end of the United States of America’s involvement in the war in Vietnam, a peculiar phenomenon developed where soldiers who had served there were treated badly by the press, anti-war activists, and the public in general.

This took many forms, which included, but was not restricted to them being called baby- killers, murderers etc.

The evaluation of this period of history has condemned the treatment of this group of men, who were drafted and sent away to fight on the other side of the planet in a country many had never heard of.

The phenomenon of blaming soldiers when war becomes unpopular is known as the “Vietnam phenomenon”, because it is unique to the Vietnam conflict.

The United States, conscious of their error, now consider the men and women who serve in Iraq or any other conflict zone as heroes. They, in fact, go to great lengths to market this message.

On the days leading up to the Tivoli Gardens incursion, Jamaica was gripped in fear in expectation of the battle that loomed. We had watched our Prime Minister Bruce Golding, challenge the United States on behalf of one of the most undeserving of our citizens.

Visas were being revoked, the country appeared unstable, and our future was beginning to take the leaning of a 1983 Grenada, or a 1989 Panama.

In the midst of this chaos and uncertainty, our prime minister recanted and gunmen from Tivoli Gardens responded with a pre-emptive strike on the Fletcher’s Land, Darling Street and Denham Town police stations, as well as doing other activities designed to dissuade the imminent incursion of the nation’s security forces on their stronghold.

Our nation’s security forces were put on high alert and our best-trained were selected to save Jamaica from this crisis. The battle began in May 2010 and the fort of Tivoli Gardens fell in the most ferocious gun battle this country had ever seen.

Who would have thought that seven years later the ‘heroes’, the island’s security forces, who had risked their lives whilst following orders to participate in a battle against gunmen — one they did not volunteer for — would be considered the villains; and the men who challenged the country to protect a common drug smuggler — Christopher “Dudus” Coke — would be considered victims of State excesses.

I have researched the seven-year period from the incursion in 2010 to our present state of mind in 2017 and have come to the conclusion that the answer lies in our inability to accept that people are responsible for their own actions.

This revelation came to me whilst on a television talk show programme when the host said to me: “If the police and the army are not responsible for the persons killed then who is at fault?”

I was taken aback because the answer was so obvious, yet it had not even made his shortlist.

“The persons responsible were the gunmen who chose to barricade themselves in Tivoli Gardens, armed to the teeth to defend a drug-dealing coward.”

When has Jamaica taken on this mindset that persons who choose crime are not responsible for their consequences.

The judicial findings of the Tivoli Gardens Enquiry, irrespective of what else said, was very clear that in the belief that a gun battle did take place as the police attempted to enter Tivoli to effect an arrest warrant.

I would go further to say that even the Public Defender, Arlene Harrison Henry, admits that there was a battle, even if she was not satisfied with incidents occurring after the battle.

So am I to understand that there is no blame allocated to the gunmen who participated in the battle that we all accept occurred during the attempt to enter Tivoli Gardens in May 2010.

I accept that the international community has their part to play in Jamaica’s flagellation — of itself and its security forces — for the lives lost.

However, have any of these naysayers ever considered the consequence had the Jamaican security forces failed in their attempt to enter Tivoli Gardens and carry out their duty?

Pretend for a moment that the loss of life of soldiers and police were so significant that they had to retreat and Tivoli stood as a victorious rebel stronghold. Do you really think the United States would have accepted this, especially after our Prime Minister had challenged the warrant?

They quite rightly would not. They would have come for him themselves and not in a police military operation, but a full military one, as the case with Manuel Noriega.

Panama is a perfect example of what would have occurred. Rather than blame, let us learn. We should learn what occurs when we allow ‘dons’ to rule in any geography, irrespective of its size.

We should learn of the dangers of politicians depending on criminal elements to guarantee support. We should learn that it is a bad idea to barricade yourself in a community and assume that law enforcement is impotent.

Most importantly, we should learn from the United States’ treatment of military personnel in Vietnam; that soldiers who follow orders and put their lives on the line for their country do not get the opportunity to choose their battles and deserve to be treated as heroes, not villains.