Abraham Lincoln, right before he became president of the United States of America, was a successful attorney. Lincoln’s run to the presidency was aided by a controversial case wherein he defended a man who had killed someone he knew quite well, in self-defence.

In many ways this case established new legal standards for self-defence matters, but more importantly, it was the measure of the man to stand up for what he felt was right, despite being conscious of the venom it generated from good men around him.

He carried this philosophy into his presidency and opposed slavery. This resulted in his eventual assassination. In fact, his stand on slavery kick-started the American Civil War, which led to the death of 620,000 people.

John F Kennedy ascended to the presidency on a wave of popularity that can be compared only with Barack Obama’s. Kennedy could have, as many before him, just gone through the motions and not rocked the boat.

However, he bit the bullet and endorsed civil rights for black Americans. He was also assassinated. There have been many theories as to the motive and conspirators behind his murder.

These include the Mafia, the Cubans, the Russians and the Klu Klux Klan. I believe that the Klan was behind it, as I feel they had most reasons to hate him, and hating and hurting are what they do best.

On a local level, this trend of unhappy endings or political destruction plays out for leaders who stand up against the established order. Michael Manley came to power at a time when social and racial divisions were prevalent.

You rarely saw a black person who was not an ancillary worker in a bank or a ministry. You might have seen brown, but rarely black. The majority of Jamaica’s poor lived in informal settlements in Kingston, or in rural Jamaica, where poverty was extreme.

Manley stood up for change. I cannot say I agree with all his methods and policies, but he did stand up. He was politically destroyed as a result and lost the general election in 1980 to the Jamaica Labour Party in a historic landslide.

Edward Seaga inherited a bankrupt country and slashed all social services to keep the country afloat. He also said what needed to be said.

One of those utterances was related to the introduction of a cess on tertiary level education, which was free at the time. This, in effect, ended free education for university students.

His words were: “This is not about education, but rather about freeness.”

I was really upset at the time. Thirty-three years later, I think he may have been right. He never got re-elected after losing in 1989.

Dudley Thompson was the first minister of national security to be faced with the reality of heavily armed gang members challenging law enforcement.

He formed squads, he passed laws, he created new courts and he said what needed to be said. His political career ended in 1980 and he was never again given the opportunity to serve in a Government.

Our current Prime Minister Andrew Holness has shown himself to be a responsible leader who will likely preside over a life-altering Jamaica in relation to infrastructural improvements.

This will end if he says what needs to be said about our gang crisis. He simply cannot. I have spoken about what he needs to say before and I was harshly criticised. It was even presented to Parliament recently to make it appear as if I was uttering my suggested words in relation to myself.

Maybe I was misunderstood. But the article was on what I felt he should say. Anyhow, his words, whatever they are, will have consequences. For example, if he says that this country needs an indefinite detention act he will be crucified.

This is true even though at a per capita murder rate of over 45 per 100,000 it would be reasonable to have one. And this is only one of the many things he should say, but dares not. Think though, the USA has a per capita murder rate of about five per 100,000.

If the US were to get to 45 they would do any damn thing they had to defeat the enemy. If you doubt me, read the Homeland Security Act and the wide powers of detention it gives their law enforcement.

So, we can choose a prosperous Jamaica, where gangs can only be contained, not defeated, by a state of emergency, or we take on the gang crisis as the nightmare it is and face harsh economic penalties and the end of our prime minister’s career. If we are looking for a saviour, he will also have to be a martyr.

Which leader wants that? Do we have any, either present or in the wings, prepared to sacrifice their political future, their wealth, and likely their USA visa?

If all good men were united we could fight this monster and win without sacrificing our political talent. But we are not. We are intolerant of each other’s opinions and brutal in search of punishment to all who simply disagree.

We are operating like anti- abortionist activists who introduce violence into their peaceful cause. We want people punished, fired, removed, imprisoned, not because they are guilty, but because they do not share our opinion.

And these are not mongrels with guns, but rather people who, under any other circumstances, are normal, good people. It has become the culture of good men.

Recently a columnist from another paper and former Jamaicans For Justice executive director wanted me punished for my views expressed in my column because I am a district constable.

It seems that no one realises that protecting and serving is different from being in servitude. The police and military of this country have not abdicated the right to free speech. But, this is where it is at. If you dare to disagree, you must be destroyed. Who saw this coming?

There will be improvements if the parochial states of emergency continue and I see our murder figure coming in under 1,000 one day. But that is not a Caribbean homicide level.

We need to get back to under 300 and that will only take place when we have a leader who is willing to destroy his career and our ‘prosperity’ to achieve it. Are we really willing to see this?

Is he really willing to do this? I want to see the end of gang domination before I die. And if you do not think it is domination, well you do not live in Tawes Pen or Shelter Rock.

Ask the residents there (if they will talk to you, if they dare to do so). Ask them if they would accept peace over prosperity, pride over progress, and a life not lived under the barrel of an illegal gun. And are they like me, also looking for a martyr?

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