Dear Editor,

Jamaicans seem to have an unwarranted and unique weakness towards crime and violence. Weakness may seem like a paradox within an ethos that is always charged with blown-up egos and aggression.

However, an atmosphere in which crime and ‘bullyism’ appear to be the premium is one that reflects a state of weakness and deficit of civility whereby ‘badmanism’ awkwardly seeks to compensate for the discrepancy.

All countries have their own brand of crime and violence, but, for Jamaica, there is this cultural propensity to be violent and wicked, which reflects a general psychological malfunction and erosion for which there is no logical explanation. Maybe it is similar to a drug addict or an alcoholic who is pushed into a stupor at the mere smell of white rum. For example, if you should pass by an area where the smell of the weed is high and potent, everyone you see on that corner often appears to exhibit a kind of uncalled for fierceness and militant demeanor — which may be in honour of the urine-like aroma.

But it’s a posture that appears to be brimming with confrontation. It seems, therefore, that, although crime and violence is a worldwide phenomenon, Jamaicans, in general, are uniquely programmed for this easy trigger. It’s almost like a happy weakness, as is often observed in several responses, such as: ”Yuh nuh know a who mi?”

Perhaps it does explain to a large extent why Jamaicans appear to romanticise violence while adding up the daily statistics of murders. For crime and violence are not just responses to incidents of injustice, but a life and a culture and a ‘livity’.

Thus, if this vacuum of self-deficit were to yield to some spiritual autonomy of purpose, the easy trigger to proud aggression may likewise be less.

Homer Sylvester

Mount Vernon, New York

h2sylvester@gmail.com