Searching for answers…

By anthony sylvestre

Either the criminals have become as facey as this UDP government, or it’s a case of ‘a new way for someone to send a message that they want to see [you],’ as UDP Minister Boots Martinez put it, but whichever way you take it, the shooting up of Boots’ private ride speaks volumes about the dangerous times we live in. I mean, who would have thought that in peaceful, loving Belize, in such a short time after attaining Independence, we would have gunmen committing these lawless criminal vigilante acts against Ministers of Government. And to think, this came only a couple days after the Minister of Police had his constituency office burglarized. If it weren’t so serious, it would be a laughing matter- the Police cannot even protect their own boss from crime.

The shooting up of Boots’ vehicle, though, is more sensational and out of order than the break in at Perdomo’s office because of the audacity of someone brandishing a weapon and callously firing shots into a Minister’s vehicle, not knowing or caring if the Minister was seated in the vehicle. The truth is, though, that both these acts reveal a frightening mentality that permeates the society.

I am tempted to say that this is a case of the chickens coming home to roost and that the lawlessness of many in our society and the increased lawlessness of criminals in general, is directly attributable to the UDP. I am tempted to say that it can be attributed to the UDP’s unapologetic, by any means necessary, rude bwai approach used to topple the previous government. That same attitude we saw Kenny Morgan display in the House of Representatives back in December, 2004, when he threatened: “You lucky I don’t have a grenade; the same raucous behaviour that was exhibited back on November 12, 2007, when almost the whole UDP Belize City Council (Mayor and all) descended on to Freetown Road with their chainsaw man to take down the PUP sign which read “PUP HIRE, UDP FIRE”; and of course, that same attitude whipped up by Barrow in the April, 2005 when he called for sustained civil disobedience and proudly boasted that “I would be happy to admit to playing a part in everything”. But, like I said, I will refrain from saying it is so.

What is certain, however, is this pervasive criminal mentality is wreaking havoc in our society. And it is not only amongst the violent criminals, to be sure. The same deviant stuff which drives them drives the white collar criminals.

But something has to give, right?

So, I was searching for answers the other day and happened upon this writer Robert Bateman. He explained that the real reason for crime is not economics but a philosophical shortcoming in our society. There are three areas of North American philosophy which he attributes to the rise in crime in Western societies: the celebration of disrespect and the encouragement of ruthlessness; the destruction of meaningful work in order to have higher profits and greater efficiency; and thirdly, the transformation of our young people into market targets who main role in society is to be self indulgent consumers.

And Bateman does make good points.

It is that same ruthlessness (no regard for the life of that other person) which is extolled and encouraged in violent movies and which is a murderer’s manifesto that is encouraged in the financial markets, producing billionaires like Merdoff. When you think about it, you have to be extremely ruthless to steal the life savings of millions of people as Merdoff did. In both cases, the violent criminal and the white collar criminal have destroyed lives and families.

Similarly, meaningful, decent-paying jobs for poor and low income people are almost non-existent. And this economic depression certainly won’t help much, but will exacerbate the already haad times. The dignity and self respect which usually comes with decent employment and which steers a man away from a life of crime will only further fizzle in these economic crises. In times like these, people have to “hussle”. And as you know, that is when a person’s dignity and self respect get tossed aside more often than not.

So too, our young people are bombarded with television programs which condition them to be into themselves, into sex without love and to settle scores with gun and violence.

Is it any wonder then, that our crime fighting strategies have been inadequate!

The points made by Bateman mirror those of the 1992 Crime Commission. That work, although 15 years old, clearly still has relevance and applicability to our 21^st century crime problems.

The young man who shot up Boots’ vehicle, of course, may disagree that his reason for doing that had anything to do with television influencing him or his need for a meaningful, decent paying job. But, he could sure help Patrick Faber and Carlos Perdomo, who met with youths last weekend to get solutions to the crime situation in Belize. In the meantime, while the Police search for the young man so he can have a one on one with Faber, Perdomo and Boots of course, the other members of the UDP Subcommittee on Crime should take a read at that Crime Commission Report.

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