The Death of the Death Penalty in Jamaica
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/death-to-those-who-kill-police-soldiers-chants-rowe_204086
The foremost duty of government is to maintain order through the enforcement of laws. One may argue for or against the death penalty but right now that is moot. Jamaica already has the death penalty for all 'aggravated' murders. Problem is the justice system and the politicians. Many Judges are unwilling to sentence people to death. Despite our high murder rate, less than 10 people are on death row in Jamaica and they will never be executed. Most judges were defense lawyers before so they have an absorbed and ingrained sympathy for criminals.....Secondly, since parliament suspended the death penalty up to 2009 and then lifted it, executions could resume - but nothing happens. What is lacking is the political will to fight the local and international Human Rights forces. My father as a lawyer and former Attorney General of Jamaica watched one hanging. I remember him being very traumatized by it. He said 'never again'. In Saudi Arabia, heads are chopped off in the public square and televised. My then wife used to live in Saudi Arabia and the effect of publicly executing people is very sobering. I think it would be good for Jamaica - minus the televised part as children might see it but do it publicly in the prisons in the presence of other prisoners. That might make them think twice about continuing in a criminal career. In Singapore, murder, drug offences and firearm offences are punished by death - they don't care what Human Rights organizations say about it. Singapore and Saudi Arabia don't have much of a crime problem! Jamaica is not serious about fighting crime. Jamaica is a poor country governed by weak, corrupt people ruling a weak, corrupt mostly poor and poorly educated population. Poll after poll show that the vast majority of Jamaicans want the death penalty carried out. The governments of Jamaica (PNP & JLP) constantly mouth platitudes and condolences to victims of crime and their families and yet this one simple step, they do not take. This is a classic example of the ignoring of the needs of Jamaica by a corrupt, uncaring political establishment. The government and the judges refuse to implement the law on the books. These are some of the reasons why most people have just turned their backs on the political process, the political establishment and their tribalists. I do not understand how people on this forum can still support the JLP or the PNP when evidence like this is so clear. For some time now, I have been calling on civil society, including the army, the police and the private sector to rise up and demand the political establishment implement this and other things that need to be done in Jamaica but the misplaced, uncritical loyalty of the private sector, the police and the army to the political establishment means that nothing is done. If anyone were to try and organize people to force the political establishment to make the changes desperately needed in Jamaica, the very police and army forces would be let loose upon them. Left to the politicians alone, Jamaica will NEVER develop. We need to wake up and realize this! Don't even tell me about forming another political party. We need more politicians like we need a hole in the head. If you inject more politicians into the same flawed Westminster based tribal politics that we have, it will be the same. New wine into old wine skins and all that.... Poor Mr. Rowe - another voice crying in the wilderness.
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