I was having a discussion with a young man recently and asked him if he had exercised his right to vote in the recent parochial elections.

He replied, “I nah vote fi no politician. A dem why people so poor and a tru dem so much gunman deh bout.”

I realised that this opinion is not confined to him and there are some standard misconceptions about politicians and their participation in our crime and poverty. So let’s set the story straight.

Firstly, politicians have nothing to do with the degree of poverty that exists in this country. In fact, if not for decisions taken by politicians since Independence, poverty would be significantly worse.

As it relates to crime, there are likely fewer than three serving politicians who come from the era when political figures actively created and supported gangs.

The majority of our politicians began their careers long after this was common practice. They are now surviving the gangs that exist in their political zones. There is no benefit to them having these predators literally extorting them to prevent them exercising their control over the community.

There is a significant lack of knowledge about the history of our poverty and, by extension, our crime. After the Morant Bay Rebellion in 1865 we lost our right to internal self-government. We literally had no hand in our governance until 1959.

During that entire period the British did almost nothing to improve the economic conditions of the descendants of slavery. By the time Jamaica got Independence the economy of the country was relatively solid, but the lion’s share of the population was illiterate and impoverished. Most importantly, they owned no land.

The land issue led to squatting, which strangled the growth of the cities and large towns.

The generational poverty, coupled with the ‘capture land’ culture, created the environment for crime. All you needed was someone to get it started in a big way.

That is where the 70s politicians came in and that is where their contribution to crime and violence began.

Those politicians, barring a handful, are retired or dead. The current politicians are simply victims of the actions of the former. The current ones are not the creators of criminal gangs.

In fact, if not for politicians passing laws we would have no gun court, no anti-gang legislation, no legislation to combat scamming, no mechanism to enter murdered witnesses’ statements, and no Proceeds of Crime Act.

The fight against poverty is a long and ongoing event. It, however, started after Independence. The British may have left us with a strong economy but what do you expect in an environment where there is no spending on social services?

It was politicians who brought about free education, free health care, the National Housing Trust, the National Health Fund, the HEART/NSTA Trust, maternity leave, vacation leave, and the list goes on.

It is important that we don’t fall into the trap of vilifying the people we elect. Many do the work for public service, not because they need a job. Do you really think that Peter Bunting and Nigel Clarke need to work in the public service?

It’s just as important to not allow politicians to divide us. I admit I don’t believe in the two-party system of governance, but I concede there is nothing better to choose. That being said, I would like to see a Cabinet that has both Bobby Montague and Peter Bunting, Christopher Tufton and Peter Phillips, Andrew Holness and Mark Golding. Why? Because I think that the Cabinet should be made up of the best minds in the country, not the best minds in the party.

So if we are going to fight poverty and crime, we first have to look at the actual genesis of both and not assume that they began in 1962. Our population has always been poor. Politicians have improved it. They did not start it.

Gang crime, although being a political creation, has nothing to do with the people you will vote for next year and for whom you should have voted in the recent election. Criminals are criminals because that is who they are. They may have been born innocent but their influencers did their jobs well. Criminals must be viewed in isolation, not paired with good people who offer their services to you.

Nevertheless, preventing the development of future killers is very much the job of the politician you have elected or should be electing next year. Look, therefore, for the leader who will do what is needed, not what is popular. Look for one who refers to gangsters as if they are a foreign enemy and not a group to be petted or placated.

Also, know the facts and don’t let any of them sell you a solution lost in long sentences or big words. The short-term solution lies in a police force large enough to occupy gang zones or a Remand Act that allows us to cage the killers like animals.

The long-term plan must involve surgical social intervention, the ability to extradite Jamaicans abroad back here for their part in arming and financing our gangs, and a plan to end squatter settlements.

Feedback: drjasonamckay@gmail.com