The flags are still flying

Published in the Jamaica Gleaner: Friday | August 10, 2007

Tara Clivio

The stories were wild and varied. Any and every version was dramatic, as are all stories that involve a shooting, but each story came with some conjecture as to the motive. Coffee-table gossip is never dull in Jamaica. A robbery? Road rage? A bad driver not being let into traffic? There must be some reason for this wild violence, some explanation for the death of a woman and severe injury of another.

'There was no motive,' he said clearly so that I could not misinterpret his words. 'NO motive?' I asked. If prodded, he might give me even a possible motive. 'No motive,' he said calmly. He had been a witness of the Slipe Road shooting that left two injured and one dead, and he explained that a car came from around the corner and the occupants were just shooting wildly everywhere, anywhere. 'Like they were in a video game,' he made a motion like a young boy pretending to take a shot at an imaginary target.

It could have been you, and it could have been me. This was not a case of mixing with the wrong types, and paying the price. This was a case of the wrong place at the wrong time, something nobody can really avoid. It was a stark reminder that violence in Jamaica has got out of hand, and criminals have no boundaries. It was foolish for us to allow criminals to break some rules and then just expect that they would not break all the rules.

Talking sweet

It is hard not to get hopeful at election time. Politicians are doing what they do best, looking good and talking sweet. They present plans for the future that surely will mean a brighter day. Yet, are they really any different? Both parties have agreed not to use political flags, yet on nomination day television footage showed green and orange flags islandwide. In one instance a party supporter was outraged because the Opposition party had come out the night before and took his party's flags down. To add to his horror it had been raining the night before, and it seemed irreverent to him that they would have done this in the rain! Clearly there are some rules that we justdon't know about!'

If political candidates are not able to stop their own party loyalists from engaging in an activity that might incite violence for the mere sake of show (flags on power poles); then how will they possibly stop people from a violent livelihood that has become a way of life. Surely this is one of the most important things that we will be expecting politicians to do once they gain office. Each time a politician was questioned about political flags which were shown plainly on TV, the answer was almost scripted. The politician reiterates a commitment to the agreement between the two parties and promises to do something about it.

Murder rate

Similarly, political leaders have always produced the right rhetoric when it comes to violence and crime. Yet the flags, like the murder rate, are still waving in our faces for all to see. The sense of foreboding one feels when you spot the flags, serving as a reminder of the worst of the political process, is not dissimilar to the sense of fear we have all grown accustomed to living with in this country.

If politicians were really serious about honouring a commitment that they agree will assist in the reduction of political violence, then they should live up to that commitment at all costs. Some of the money that is spent on motorcades (including the most elaborate cars and SUVs) could be spent on a team that each day ensures that there are no flags, telling the tale of a party's weakness, lack of respect for the law and refusal to uphold what is right. Obviously there is no real sign of change yet.

Tara Clivio is a freelance journalist.