By: Staff Writer
February 11, 2022
Due to the high number of murders in Jamaica for only the second month into 2022, Jamaicans Facebook are defensive over the murder rate spiralling out of control and deflect from answering the serious nature of the crime epidemic on the island.
Despite several Jamaican dancehall artists coming out and decrying to high murder rate, standing at 112 for the year already as official statistics from the Jamaica Constabulary Force state, Jamaicans online are by-and-large defensive and unwilling to engage on what is behind the abnormally high murder count for the country.
Admiral Bailey, renown dancehall artist, has just recently called for the death penalty to be used in Jamaica as a way to curb the appetite for murder. He also called for the Minister of National Security and Commissioner of Police to be fired for their apparent lacklustre performance in controlling the crime.
With all of this spiralling, and notable Jamaicans speaking out about the high murder rate, which is some 15 percent higher at this time this year than it was in 2021, Jamaicans on social media were on the defensive when asked to speak about the matter.
When asked to comment on the matter in a Facebook Group called, “Speak Your Mind Jamaica,” Balfore Milton, replied to Caribbean Magazine Plus: “And who the hell are you?”
Amos Campbell added: “Write about the murder rate in NYC..that should be very informative and surprising!” Of course, CMP is not from New York, but that did not phase Mr Campbell as he retorted: “Are you IN Jamaica? So why not write about New York? You’re not living in Jamaica..you want to disparage Jamaica..You want to write all kinds of Crap about Jamaica and you’re not living here..!! Go write about somewhere else!!”
Sandra Murray added: “That’s exactly what I’m saying. Why not choose somewhere else? Jamaica is NOT the worst place in the world. There are places where mass and serial killings take place very regularly. She can go there.”
Amos Campbell also said: “CaribMagPlus, GO and write about your poverty stricken small island where you come from..Jamaica is NO PROBLEM…to you!”
David Valentine, on the other hand, offered one sobering spot, when he said: “As you can see, the Jamaican people are in denial about crime, and don’t want anything to be done about it. Maybe its a coping mechanism or some intuitive need to protect the tourism industry, who knows.
“This is what irritates me the most. When I was 18 my girlfriend was murdered in an upper middle-class neighbourhood, so I know the effects first hand. The number one driver in the murder rate of Jamaica in my estimation, is that Jamaica isn’t a real democracy. People are mostly unable to truly participate in govt, which trickles down to them not participating in their communities.
“They become apathetic. The corruption and abuse of power, the hidden and shady mechanisms of the justice system and law enforcement, lack of a sense of duty and accountability in public officials. The dirty blighted noisy environments of downtown Kingston and other areas, inefficient distribution of land resources, the poor and highly uneven education system.”
He continued, “Broken families, domestic abuse, corporeal punishment. Jamaica is legion, beset by many different demons of violence, but they all come from the hell that is the lasting generational effects of chattel slavery and the now proven epigenetics behind it, along with colonialism and neocolonialism.”