Those Who Know Better: Extremism Hindering Debate on Human Rights

We must not allow Fundamentalism and/ Extremism to take hold of our consciousness whether it be Faith based or otherwise; history has proven that crusades only ensure the victory of one side and the mass slaughter of the ‘enemy’ but Jamaica is better than this backward stepping series of events that may see us regurgitating our past of violent intolerance of our differences including religious. 


When we speak of tolerance or equality we need to include all the other forms of prejudice and narrow-mindedness that Jamaicans have not properly addressed because we can’t hide behind our ‘Christianity’ when we speak of things like racism and xenophobia.

With both sides of this ‘war’ being guilty of the same sins in order to win the propaganda battle of words and conviction, its certain that anyone caught in the middle will be placed on either side by those ardent on seeking and subduing the ‘enemy’ based on the appalling belief of “If you’re not (entirely) with me, then your (entirely) against me”. 

Middle Ground

I refused to be told that, I, a young supporter of Human Rights and Equality am immoral and confused because American right-wing influenced and funded Christian groups relating all Human Rights as “Gay Lobby” and “Gay Agenda”.

I refused to be forced or morally ‘brainwashed’ to accept conduct contrary to my personal belief and crosses my particular red line that may or may not align with popular or unpopular behaviour and doctrine. 

Many young people like me have slowly realized that we are all individuals; and as much as we want to generalize gays, Christians, women and men; there is no oversimplifying the extraordinary human experience.So even now, when Gay Rights activist label Christians as Homophobes and Christians return to the dangerous narrative of linking Homosexuality and Paedophilia – We know better. 

Finally, Government cannot escape from this melee of social issues blameless; there is no leading from behind for a Jamaican government and most importantly a Jamaican elected representative on these issues, specifically Sexual Education. Don’t kill the messenger, because you don’t like the message – Where were you when the message needed to be delivered?

As a Human Rights supporter I must compel the Human Rights lobbyist to get the Jamaican Government to put a non-binding referendum to the people, so we can get a proper understanding of where we stand now and how we proceed.

ISIS Attack Caused by Inaction in Syria

 

As the Al Qaeda linked terrorism organization ISIS makes their presents known across the middle east especially in the nations of Syria, Iraq and Libya – all three having varying degrees of intervention from the International community led by the United States of America whether from the front through an Invasion based on a hubris in case of Iraq or from behind as not to directly be involved with the disposing of an ally who had fallen from grace in Libya.

With the Syrian civil war being the worst and longest of any of the Middle East uprising mainly due to the influence of the jihadist belonging to those familiar terror groups we associate with the word terrorism, with all the attention that the ongoing crisis in Syria had received before; with the whole world pushing for an international consensus to go into Syria with as much force as the allied nations did in Libya to force President Bashar al-Assad out of power. 

Unfortunately, Jamaica’s new best friends in the form of Russia and China decided to block any action that the UN security council would have taken to earlier in the conflict and possibly would have found that ISIS growing and taken decisive action.

 Geo-politics and capitalism have been the grim reaper for over 150, 000 lives in Syria thus far, will Western and Eastern powers take responsibility for their inhumane blunder that will now threaten their precious Middle East oil fields that fuel their economies – now that the US has resend troops to Iraq after a full withdrawal following a decade of war. We could applaud Syria’s denuclearization but the Olympus-like hypocrisy hangs too low.

ISIS is now the main threat and International community, including Russia is beginning to throw everything but the kitchens sink at Iraq, Syria and ISIS strongholds in neighbouring territories be it military or diplomatic help – but the truth is the real Syrian crisis will remain intact and bloody.

Unstable Foundation: We Must Reform Governance Loopholes

Reform Governance Loopholes

The Prime Ministers contribution to the 2014 Budget was a thorough disappointment for the generation of

attached Jamaicans (those mildly interested in the political process) now looking towards the United States (US) to satisfy their political appetite with cable news feeding themselves on colourful first world democracy and ideologies that influences their daily anti-government tweets and Facebook posting .

Madam Simpson-Miller belongs to a generation who would have accepted such a unbecoming display of “smoke and mirrors” in a speech supposedly to inform the population of the Peoples National Party successes over the past 2 years, when in fact it was to spoon feed party sympathizers (not loyalist) who may have been acting up because they fell prey to the new and improved charms of Prince Andrew “#AndrewOntheBus” Holness and the usual vigour of Audley “Man-A-Yaad” Shaw.

Unstable Foundation

In today’s world of follow, share and like, our leaders and older politicians are still operating under the guise; “those people won’t understand, so they won’t care” – both side are guilty of letting the governance loopholes slide that cause unaccountability and bureaucracy hence corruption. These loopholes are becoming too wide to ignore especially now when we are fixing and tying loose ends of Jamaican society that have plague us for too long – the economy is a pillar but governance is the unstable foundation.

Some of the important questions looming that must be looked at as an important national and constitutional priority includes: 

• Federalization
• Constitutional Reform and Oversight
• Term Limits
• Campaign Financing
• Removing MP’s as Ministers
• Voter ability to hold elected officials accountability (Recalls), 
• meaningful Local Government Reform (leading to autonomy), 
• Third Party accessibility and many other governance practices that have succeeded in other countries we can mirror – individually or in bulk, either way we must act.

Too many people scoff at reforming the Constitution and Government, saying “we nuh have time fi that people want money” and the politicians knowingly cradle this uniformed thought because they are afraid of losing power or even being held accountable for abusing it - they all want a seat or a ministry – but we know that the economy depends on good governance.

Madam Prime Minister, “Balancing the books, while balancing people’s lives” is honourable; if you’re serious about People Power then truly return the Power to The People allowing the foundation of governance to become modern, stable and balanced.

The Colour of Justice: Who and What Failed Trayvon Martin

The Colour of Justice: 

Who and What Failed Trayvon Martin?

Trayvon Martin

[On a personal note] “I find myself trying to separate the “Trayvon Martin Story” from the “Zimmerman Trial” – unlike many of My Liberal counterparts – maybe to ease personal discontentment with “The System” for allowing itself to be used to prop-up a “self-defence” claim over the obvious truth of “racial profiling” that lead to the death of a unarmed, African-American youth; Who had no intention of committing a crime the night he died.

However, I have to submit to the rule of law, whether it’s fair or not, and it was on the basis of Florida’s “stand your ground” (SYG) law, that the Jurors deliberated on – Was George Zimmerman’s life ‘sufficiently’ in danger for him to have shot and killed Trayvon? – And with my own eyes I watched the Defence team resuscitate Trayvon Martin in that court room with the intention of painting him as “Black”, using racial stereotypes to convince the jurors and the public that Zimmerman was right in “pursuing”, “engaging” and “killing” the “Black” in a hoodie because his “Profile” was indicative of a troublemaker of some kind.”

Who Failed Trayvon

But unfortunately, the prosecution was simply afraid to touch on race; rather they focused squarely on storytelling with the evidence and purely based on that – I gave Zimmerman, a gut wrenching “Not-Guilty” long before the verdict.

It was no hard task for Zimmerman’s attorneys to destabilize the sturdy ground on which the prosecution felt they stood on with their case of killing without justification. The needless death of Trayvon Martin was placed second to the ineffective refuting Zimmerman’s “self-defence” story – the prosecution faulted when they refused to highlight the thinking of Zimmerman when he had called the police, in his capacity as a neighbourhood watchman complained of suspicious persons, who were all “Black”.

Earlier in the trial, the star witness for the prosecution was a female friend of Trayvon, who was the last person to speak to Trayvon except Zimmerman – and the Defence turned her into a representative for all “Blacks” across America because of her heavy creole – even asking “Do you have a problem understanding English”, although it obvious she didn't  When the Defence brought out the witness, whom had her house broken into by a “Black” teenager to prove somehow that all African-American youth are “burglars” (No offense, of course); How did the prosecution miss the opportunity to expose such blatant “profiling”.

What Failed Trayvon

And it is that profiling that caused Zimmerman to leave his truck to further pursue Trayvon (despite being told not to by a 911 dispatcher) with a loaded gun, with the “SYG” law on his side, Mr Zimmerman would have 

been embolden to take the confrontation as far as he wanted it to go.

Without a doubt the highest tier of “The System” failed an unarmed teenager. The law created and supported by a fully conservative state legislature that gave so much power to George Zimmerman wasn't able to stop Dr Marissa Alexander from getting sentenced to 20 years in prison for firing a warning shot into the roof of her home to stop the violent advances of her ex-husband.

It was also that same law that made the Stanford police, treat dead Trayvon Martin as a suspect and living Zimmerman free for days after the incident and as it was proven that “Justice delayed is justice denied”. The Justice Department said Sunday it will weigh criminal civil rights charges against Zimmerman, as urged by the NAACP and others. That course would be satisfying on one level, presumably addressing the actions that led to the fight, probably rendering the “Stand Your Ground” law ineffective – because the confrontation was unnecessary and triggered by “Profiling”. Just as Federal Government has done repeatedly in history it must do again in defending the civil rights and dignity of the minority – Race, Gender, Sexuality, Religion, etc.

Going Forward:

“Salvation for a race, nation or class must come from within. Freedom is never granted, it is won. Justice is never given; it is exacted.” – A. Phillip Randolph

This time Freedom will be won not in court or through the legislature but through the actions of a people angered and saddened by death and the perceived injustice following that death; we must not falter in our commitment to Trayvon Martin, Dr King, Marcus Garvey, Nelson Mandela, Bob Marley, Rosa Parks or any other who spoke, stood, sat or died in our place so that we could have salvation in knowing that we are all equal.

To invoke violence, would corrupt the advances we have made through peaceful protest and processes, like the election of the first African-American President Barack Obama.

Now is not the time to be Zimmerman’s “Black” but “I am Black and I am Proud” kind of “Black”.

The Madness of It All: Jamaica’s Mental Health Challenges and Violent Crime

By Mario Boothe

“May Madness Jolts’ the Nation” was the title of “The Jamaica Gleaner’s” first Editorial for June; incidentally the start of the Atlantic hurricane season. Possibly a cautionary indication of the nation’s mental tempest caused by harsh economic times; maybe the unyielding cyclone of public opinion or the political storm to follow on the matter of National Security and our relentless struggle with crime and violence.

Unfortunately, not even a slight breathe of a whisper will be said of Mental Health in its truest form as a contributor to our crime rate. Although In Jamaica, neuropsychiatric disorders are estimated to contribute to 20.3% of the global burden of disease (WHO, 2008).

While the word “Madness” in the Editorial title may have suggested the topic of Mental Health, it read to the effect of repeated commentary with mentions of Jamaica’s high murder rate; the conventional public condemnation by Government officials; the ineffectiveness of our Law Enforcers; and our broken communities.

Notably missing was the criticisms of the church’s institutional role as the ‘moral compass’ (as it were) but they hinted to our pseudo Christian Nation claim “it is scandalous that our small, supposedly God-fearing country ranks among the top 10 in the world for murder.” said the Editors.

“the dismembering of a four-year-old girl in Trelawny; the murder of an eight-year-old left to rot in a latrine in St Catherine; the dumping of a new-born’s body in a pit latrine in Trelawny; and the beheading of an octogenarian in Kingston, all within days”.  

The editorial recalls the gruesome acts of human violence (or Madness) but this sort of human behaviour is hardly human (at best) yet the church and other conservative/traditionalist stakeholders continue to push the issue of ‘Who is to Blame’ - Society or the Individual, when both are inseparable and link through many channels; the most fragile being “Mentally”. 

Tampered Thoughts

“Murder is so commonplace in Jamaica that the country appears to have become inured to the grisly litany of death and mayhem that stalks the land. There seems to be no more outrage left for another wave of brutal murders.”  

The opening lines read with truth ringing in every word. Jamaican sentiments concerning violent crimes have shifted over the years from absolute sensationalism characterized by the symbolic wearing of black and the now trending “Jungle Justice” rational, characterized by the mobbing of the ‘suspects”.

Have our minds been so littered with violence we have become immune to its emotional sting and still be susceptible to its virus-like effects ourselves?

It’s been argued for decades whether violent media (i.e. Video Games) can leave an impression on the thinking of adolescence, most research papers reject the claim of ‘virtual’ imprinting; However “actual” exposure to continuous violence does impact our mental status, from the extremities of war to the secrecy of domestic violence.

In a 2002 World Health Organization’s (WHO) fact report on “Youth Violence” stated that “In 2000, an estimated 199 000 youth murders took place globally – equivalent to 565 children and young people aged 10-29 years dying on average each day as a result of interpersonal violence”, the main risk factors and influences included:

• ·         “history of early aggressive behaviour”
• 
  
• ·         “parental conflict in early childhood”
• 
  
• ·         “Gangs and a local supply of guns and drugs area potent mixture, increasing the likelihood of youth violence”

Jamaican youths are three for three on the ‘main risk factors and influences’ listed.

The late detection or refusal to acknowledge the existence of mental illness in its many forms (depression, stress, bi-polar disorder, etc.) caused by the ‘factors and influences’ is indicative of a Black society as studies show that Blacks have tabooed mental illness treatment due to the “crazy, coke-head or madman” stigma attached to the issue – the religiosity of the race places even more pressure on the individual relating mental illness to a sin or demonic possession, although many churches provide train therapist.

In a 2007 Study conducted by the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, USA; involving self-identified Christians on an online mental illness discussion group. 

 “The results of the present study suggest that a highpercentage (approximately 30%) of mentally ill Christian congregants who seekcounsel from the Church have interactions that are counterproductive tosuccessful treatment.”  

Interestingly though, when the participant were asked “As a result of the church’s involvement, the problem seemed” the results showed (Unchanged, 39.9%; Worse, 25.9%, Better, 34.1%), meaning more than half the participant had ‘no change or got worst’ after their churches involvement. 

Then do we really need “Divine Intervention”?

Lacking Leadership

Also under the “main risk factors and influences” in the WHO’s “Youth Violence” report was “The quality of a country’s governance – its laws and the extent to which they are enforced, as well as policies for social protection – has an important effect on violence” .

Our Politicians must begin to personally take serious the ‘Culture of Thinking and Behaviour’ among the population not just hold hands with the nearest priest - singing “Holy Mary” - as though the human component is expendable. In respond to the high levels of misfits within our society, who only see themselves as other and replaceable; bitter about their economic situation and lifestyle; seeking leaders to rap with them on their level and not just be a jacket and tie aristocrat.

An officially approved mental health policy exists and was approved or most recently revised in 2004. Mental health is specifically mentioned in the general health policy.

While our laws maybe up-to-date, there needs to be systematic changes for mental health in Jamaica, to fix the legal provisions concerning mental health that are not covered in other laws (e.g., welfare, disability and general health legislation); education about mental disorders and the treatment process is a critical part in reducing barriers to treatment including public education campaigns (e.g., social media), and educational presentations at community venues and mental health sessions at local health clinics.

The cost of treatment may be prohibitive for many, especially among those without insurance coverage. Many low-income individuals can find help in the community health system, but such systems may suffer from a lack of clinicians able to treat complex and less common conditions.

Inability to Access care has been noted by a WHO report on the digjamaica.com website stated “Persons with mental illnesses in Jamaica are also affected by the lack of appropriate and timely care. Most of the patients are sent for treatment to the capital city, Kingston, due to lack of facilities in other areas.  The World Health Organization has indicated that this situation violates its regulation regarding treatment of patients as near to their homes or communities as possible, and called on the Jamaican State to address this issue in the revision of its mental health policies.”

Where is the public private partnership on Mental Healthcare? It would make sense to keep your workforce in ‘working order’ to keep your labour force effective and efficient to pump revenue in the government.

Going Forward

According to the Mental Health Atlas 2011 - Department of Mental Health and Substance

Abuse, World Health Organization: Jamaica

“Jamaica’s mental health expenditures by the government health department/ministry are 6.04% of the total health budget. Precise mental hospital expenditures are not available. However, data from 2006/2007 estimate mental hospital expenditures to be approximately 80% of the mental health budget.”

The budget allocation is up from 5% in 2005 to 6.04 in 2011, a jump of 1.04% which is a good direction for our Government to continue on as the society begins to adjust into the new reality of relating mental illness to violent crime, and it can no longer be a stigma or something to be ashamed of. The economic, physical, political, social, spiritual pressures all contribute to the well being of your mental health therefore the welfare of society itself because as an individual you are a part of humanity.

When we engage in these conversations we use of the term “society” as a way to deflect responsibility. We do this because, well, it’s the easy thing to do. To accept one’s membership within to society is to accept responsibility for the injustices.

The truth of the matter is this; we do not have the option, or the privilege, of opting out of our membership to society whenever we feel that it’s convenient to us.  We should not embrace our membership to society whenever we make strides of wealth; only to distance ourselves from, and blame, society whenever we feel it is convenient to us.  Collectively, we all participate in this thing we call “society”.

Rather than focusing so much on how society impacts the individual; we need to place an equal (or greater) amount of emphasis on how the individual can impact society. It is only then that we can begin to engage in a discourse than can foster real change and limit the “Madness”.