by Michael I Phillips

(book available at amazon.com $12.95)

(I have been sending the text of this book here, a chapter approximately each week. I am doing this because I want Jamaica to be poor no more am hoping it stimulates action as advocated in the book.)

                                        Chapter 12

                                                                   Reducing Crime

        Jamaica Exile
by Michael Irving Phillips

Imprisoned in my home sweet home

Behind iron bars

That lets in the sunshine

But keeps out crime

Is not for me,

Anymore

For Jamaica bleeds

Stabbed in the heart repeatedly

By ruthless thugs of crime

And Jamaicans die

And fear death

Even behind their iron bars

That let in sunshine

But keeps out crime

And because of these

Ruthless thugs of crime

Jamaicans leave

Exiled to a foreign land

To leave behind

Distrusted politicians

Trapped in stereotypes

To serve a cynical public

And hopelessly watch

As crime plan after new crime plan

Fails

And even innocent children die

And heartless thugs triumph

To leave behind their

Yam and sweet potato

For foreign fast cholesterol-filled food

Leave behind their tropic nights

Filled with reggae music

Leave behind their seas so blue

Before it runs red

With the blood of Jamaica

Before  laughter turns to screams

Before  laughter turns to slaughter

To leave all that behind

For exile

In some uncaring foreign land

For anonymity

To adopt a foreign culture

And live in the memory

Of a crime-free Jamaica

Without iron bars

To let in sunshine

And to keep out crime

It is not a life

Without Jamaica

I am alive

But I am not kicking

The greed and the ruthlessness of the dehumanizing money-chasing rat race culture serve as a catalyst for crime. The greatest challenge to improving the quality of life in Jamaica  is the removal of the menace of crime. Police protection has failed to provide an acceptable level of safety as homicide and violent crimes continue at high rates. Remedial plans run from enlightened to draconian but crime continues to soar. New police chiefs come and go. There is an abundance of finger-pointing, but like the babbling brook, crime goes on forever. So how will the goodwill revolution succeed where so many other proposals have failed dismally?

What type of crimes terrorize Jamaica? They are  not embezzling millions. They are not committing insider trading. They do lock up a lot of people for the victimless crime of doing drugs. But it is the crimes that victimize others which can make Jamaica  a living hell. Let’s spell it out. It is crimes such as theft, assault, murder, rape, mugging that we have to eliminate to transform our country into a magnificent community.

The goodwilliist way

People do not want to hurt people. It is unnatural. Jamaicans do not want to hurt Jamaicans. It is unnatural. The solution lies in appealing to the innate goodness in man. Punishment is not enough. We need to ask them to stop. We need to make them realize the folly of their actions. We need to convince criminals that they are better off without a life of crime. We need to convince them that instead of victimizing people they should be helping people. We need to find them, identify them and convince them to join the goodwill revolution. We need to dialogue with them.

The Stupidity of Crime

Firstly, we must take a look at some of the main reasons why people in Jamaica commit crimes.

• Money
• Domestic violence

• Desperation

• Vengeance
• Respect and recognition

Once again that root of all evil, money – the love of money, rears its ugly head. And most of these crimes are not for much money, just petty crimes. Criminals have killed for a lousy pair of tennis shoes, an old broken-down bicycle, ridiculous things. Most of these crimes are committed in poor communities. Horrible crimes, ranging from brutal murder down, are often committed for very little money.

It is very little money because in the poor communities, no one has much money. Criminals are risking death, incarceration, injury, life as a fugitive for chicken feed. But worst of all, they end up being hated and despised by the overwhelming majority in their own communities as well as the rest of Jamaica.

Risks of crime

• Death
• Incarceration
• Injury
• Hate and despised by others
• Fugitive life

Crime as a job offers no sick leave, no paid holidays, no paid vacation, no health insurance and no pension,

• Crime is a very stupid choice
• Crime is low-paying in most cases generally
• Crime is loathsome and despicable
• Crime is dangerous
• Crime is evil
• Crime is disgusting –

Effects of crime on the arrested

Being arrested can affect:

• Your income
  If you are in jail, you will be unable to continue to work to pay bills. If you have a family how much more devastating that would be.
• Relationships with loved ones
  If you are incarcerated for months, years, or lifetime. Your spouse or significant other will be having sex with someone else and you will not, at least not with consenting adults. A study done at the University of Illinois says difficulties in adjusting to separation and loss have led to depression and other mental health problems among prisoners and their families.
• Future employment opportunities
  Many employers conduct criminal background checks before hiring new workers, so your ability to get a job later in life can be affected.
• Quality of life
  With your freedom denied, how awful to live day after day after month after month after year after year in a 6x8 foot cell with your main furniture a toilet. Never to have a beer  with the guys or grabbing a pattie from Spicy Patties.

Crime sure sounds like an awful job! Who would take such a job? Unfortunately, for some, this seems to be the only choice. But, for most, they get sucked into such a rotten occupation with their eyes closed, driven by desperation and not realizing just how disastrous a choice they have made. As goodwillists we need to steer the youth from that career path. Any job is better than that.

The Growing menace of gangs

Poor youths are the worst victims with regards to employment. Their unemployment rate is very high. So, they have no jobs, no skills, no worthwhile education, and consequently no hope. So what if they made some bad decisions as kids? They do not deserve a life sentence for that. No jobs, no money no respect, no hope. Without these you are nobody. Where can they turn to? The rat race society is harshest on people like that. It makes them feel unwanted. Who wants them? Who will take them in? I know. Gangs. Join a gang. Belong to a gang. Gangs will take them in. So, with the pressure of the rat race, gangs become very attractive to these rejected social outcasts.

Gangs offer them:

• Sense of Belonging
• Identity
• Protection

There have been all sorts of draconian measures to curtail gangs but gangs continue to proliferate. The appeal of gangs to rejected youth is virtually unstoppable.  Instead we have to reach out and have these gang members join a better gang, a gang that will make them feel like they belong, restore their self-dignity, offer them protection and identity.  This better gang is their community..

Community Actions – appeal to their innate goodness to help create an all-inclusive community. Instead of keeping them out, invite them in and enlist their help.

• Establish a liaison person to communicate with gangs
• Invite them to join a bigger gang – the community
• Urge them to be a gang for good – a goodwillist gang
• Point out “the stupidity of crime”
• Get their self-respect and respect of the community back

Transforming gangs

In Jamaica, we have to persuade gang members  to make the intelligent choice. To become any type of leader, one has to be intelligent. A leader is responsible to his followers. A gang leader is responsible to his members, We have already established that crime is stupid so as a leader he should steer them away from a ‘stupid’ life of crime. .So, instead of rejection and disdain, he should find some way to make them join our gang, the community. It is a very difficult solution, but it is the only solution.

Yes, it is time for gang members to wise up and join the Goodwill Revolution. Gang violence is the rat race on steroids. Spread goodwill to all instead of fear, terror, and murder. If you cannot find a job then join the volunteers in your community. It would make a wonderful impression if a gang would do something as simple as clean up litter in their community just one day per month. So, instead of hanging around and risk getting into trouble, they should do something productive, something that will earn the respect and admiration of their community.

Gang leaders can use their leadership skills to benefit the community by becoming community leaders.

 But it is not all up to them. Goodwillist police and community leaders must be willing and ready to welcome these prodigal sons back. All sides must be prepared to replace hostility, animosity and belligerence with goodwill, cooperation and mutual respect.