Truly, the level of ruthlessness and the absolute abhorrent nature of crime is beyond alarming. And, we have all sorts of reasons for crime being on the rise. But are we yet willing to look in the mirror and admit that we are all complicit? That we have all built this monster of crime that primarily affects the poor?

In the spirit of individualism, most of us are satisfied to live lives focused primarily on ourselves, pretending that nothing really affects us as long as we create borders around ourselves and our homes. We desire to live ‘the American Dream’ in Jamaica, and we adopt almost every philosophy that they do. But how has that been working for us?

We have joined the Black Lives Matter cry for those of African descent around the world because of George Floyd’s death. We have raised our voices because, well, once in American we are the perceived monsters, we are the targets, and we are the excluded. But right here on our shores we promulgate the very exclusion and disdain for the poor we advocate against, for ourselves and our family.

“Equal rights and justice”, we say, “black lives matter,” we say, when our brothers and sisters in inner-city communities face the similar structural and systemic barriers our family’s experience overseas (without the welfare system). Every moral failure and evil act we see does not arise from “nothing” or nowhere. Instead, it comes from the indirect violence of under-resourced schools; blocks to employment and higher-paying work; the belief that we must keep “poor people” with their troubles out of our workplaces to protect ourselves; the selective support of their gifts and talents (the ones that benefit us and the nation); the irrational belief that violently graphic lyrics have no impact on the minds of impressionable children or even adults; and that spirituality has no role in improving moral outcomes.

We permit everything as we hold people at arm’s length; not getting close enough to gain influence and truly understand needs, desires, and aspirations. How does one rise above abject poverty, neglect, a sense of hopelessness, and societal blocks while observing others taking the legitimate route and failing?

The younger the mothers become, the younger the gunmen become. They are without love and guidance, possess fewer morals, and have less value for life. But prevention must be accompanied by intervention as the intergenerational transfer of criminal capital replaces and reduces the impact of moral, law-abiding mentorship that should exist where parental and community challenges exist.

Nevertheless, it is true, once a gun enters the hands of a youngster, and he makes his first “bones”, he is difficult to reach, but as one former gangster told me love helps, and without being political, yes, we also need divine intervention.

We see ourselves as a superior being, acting in ways that connote “we have our act together”. We baulk at people who videotape violence while laughing, but how different is that from the rest of us who watch the deaths of our people and do nothing? In our minds, we think “they deserve it”, or we move on because we think “there is nothing we can do about it”, or we blame the Government because we believe they have the answer to every social ill and should do it on their own. Perhaps in an ideal world, that should be the case, but it’s not. While still holding them accountable, we must now admit that whether or not the Government is doing what it should, we must do something.

Remember, they believe we are hypocrites who disregard them and their lives. So why should they value our lives more than their own? Why should they risk victimisation while we live full and enjoyable lives? Why should they suffer while we live comfortably? Why should they care about us?

As human beings we tend to care about the people that care about us. Think about it? Showing love to someone who treats you horribly is often a significant act of love and sacrifice of oneself in humility. The truth is, with this beast of crime, we are going to be sacrificing one way or the other. We will either constantly be in fear for our lives, which further excludes others and continues the cycle, eventually becoming victims of crime, or we will sacrifice our comfort to help in any way we can.

Every gunman was a child. Socialised by the environment he was born into, and selecting a way of life that he believes would give him the best outcome. Whether his parent or society failed him, whether he made the wrong choice, we need to see his needs and life as our responsibility, because crime is not a private problem and, as humans, we all deserve equal rights to protection, justice, and the ability to take care of our families and live an enjoyable and meaningful life.

I encourage us all to evaluate your perceptions, prejudices, and biases towards the poor and former inmates (who often have a desire to turn their lives around but encounter significant challenges) and do as I did this morning: Ask yourself, what can I do? What talents, skills, abilities, and resources do I have that can change the direction of the spate of criminal acts in this nation?

But not just this aim of partial self-interest, but ask: What can I do to improve the lives of others in need?

Joanna Simpson is a PhD candidate examining how Jamaican men leave a life of crime and a part-time social worker at Operation Save Jamaica. Send comments to the Jamaica Observer or joanna.operationsaveja@gmail.com.