“Bad mind a go kill dem!” This is a well-known line from a popular dancehall song which in many ways encapsulates an ongoing trend in the Jamaican society in which envy and covetousness have taken root in the national psyche, leading to various deleterious circumstances for the victims, including being murdered or ‘obeahed’! Ironically, there is also another popular line from a reggae song which opines that “to be poor is a crime”.

During the recent general election the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) used the “bad mind” slogan rather effectively, it seems, against its opponent the People’s National Party (PNP). This same posture was used in the 2016 General Election campaign when the then Dr Peter Phillips-led PNP focused on JLP Leader Dr Andrew Holness’s Beverly Hills ‘palatial’ dwelling. This time round it was allegations of ill-gotten gains, which he has insisted were achieved through wise and astute financial management of his affairs, and not at the expense of the Jamaican people.

The defence used by the JLP, oftentimes highlighted by an in-your-face Daryl Vaz, is that PNP President Mark Golding and his followers (Comrades) envy the prime minister for his many successes, both personal and professional.

This is an age-old Jamaican problem, whereby people who succeed are targeted by their fellow citizens, stigmatised, and ostracised. And in many cases, even if their means of survival are legitimate, their detractors oftentimes maintain that they are up to something outside of the law, including drug pushing or prostitution (both male and female), scamming, or some other form of ‘bandoolooism’. In the case of politicians, they are accused of pilfering the public purse — in other words, putting their sticky fingers in the till — or accepting bribes and kickbacks.

To be successful in Jamaica, therefore, can be very hazardous to one’s health, physically and mentally. The situation becomes even more perilous and excruciating if you possess a certain pigmentation that does not align well with those who continue to occupy the great house and are not born with “gold spoon in your mouth”.

In this vein, the venerable Brogad frequently alludes to his humble beginnings in Spanish Town, and those who know him well argue that because he did not hail from upper St Andrew or started out with enviable academic qualifications, it took a while for the hoity-toity to accept him as one of them. His third term has, therefore, helped to solidify his socio-economic status, much to the envy of his detractors (the bad mind).

The late talk show host Wilmot “Motty” Perkins revelled in talking about the Willie Lynch syndrome. But the harsh truth is that too many of us who are related to Sam Sharpe, Paul Bogle, Nanny, and Marcus Garvey are just plain bad mind and grudgeful. William “Willie” Lynch was a white slave owner who, in 1712, on the banks of the James River in Virginia, USA, purportedly made his infamous speech telling other slave masters that he had discovered the “secret” to controlling enslaved Africans, which was by setting them against one another.

Here is an excerpt from his supposed diatribe outlining some of the strategies which seems to have worked and have become part of the psyche of descendants of African slaves: “The black slave, after receiving this indoctrination, shall carry on and will become self-refuelling and self-generating for hundreds of years, maybe thousands. Don’t forget you must pitch the old black male vs the young black male and the young black male against the old black male. You must use the dark skin slaves vs the light skin slaves and the light skin slaves vs the dark skin slaves. You must use the female vs the male and the male vs the female. You must also have your white servants and overseers distrust all blacks, but it is necessary that your slaves trust and depend on us. They must love, respect, and trust only us.”

Much of the crime and violence in this country can be attributed to those who despise anyone who appears to be successful. Very few will sing your praises; most will chat you behind your back and say all kinds of terrible things about you, all because you look good and “you nah beg nobody nutten”.

Another aspect to this bad mind scenario is that it has caused many individuals to visit the obeahman in an effort to “turn down somebody” who is doing better than they are. Yes, Obeah is alive and well in this country and much of it is tied in with who should be or should not be successful.

Coupled with the Willie Lynch syndrome, the PNP Administration of the 70s, led by Michael Manley, must take some of the blame because of how its push for democratic socialism was interpreted by the masses, especially the blacks, many of whom felt it was necessary to relieve people of their belongings if they had too much, no matter how they had obtained same. Manley meant well, but the people thought otherwise, hence “profit” became a dirty word and people who were in business to make a profit were vilified and ostracised. Perhaps that is why we have so far been unable to build a culture of successful entrepreneurship among black Jamaicans.

If Jamaica is to become economically independent and subsequently a peaceful, crime-free society, then we must expunge this culture of bad mind. We must “bun bad mind!” Have you ever wondered why if you have on one street shops operated by a variety of individuals of different races, the one that get the least support is the one operated by a black business person? The Willie Lynch syndrome is alive and well! Not to mention our foreign mind and foreign taste. Will we ever sufficiently eat what we grow and opt to buy Jamaican-made goods rather than imported items?

Success should not be a punishable offence in this country. The curricula in our educational institutions must seriously begin to teach character education at all levels, from basic school to university. It is so easy to laugh at the calamity of others than to praise the achievements of those around us. This is a debate that needs to be put on the table for meaningful discussion. Too many black entrepreneurs in Jamaica have become victims of their own success.

To this end, the PNP must expunge from its image the spectre of it being seen as a “party of bad mind”. It must set out to espouse a philosophy that embraces success, especially when this is achieved by members of the black Jamaican community, which makes up the majority. It is unfortunate that it has allowed the JLP, often seen as the “brown man party”, to have the upper hand in this battle of perception.

Lloyd B Smith has been involved full-time in Jamaican media for the past 50 years. He has also served as a People’s National Party Member of Parliament and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. He hails from western Jamaica where he is popularly known as the Governor. Send comments to the Jamaica Observer or lbsmith4@gmail.com.

During the recent general election the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) used the “bad mind” slogan rather effectively, it seems, against its opponent the People’s National Party (PNP).

Daryl Vaz (Photo: Joseph Wellington)

Mark Golding (Photo: Naphtali Junior)

Michael Manley.

Lloyd B Smith