Excerpt from the Jamaica Observer column published Monday, April 19, 2021
By Jean Lowrie-Chin
NEWS of a video allegedly showing a Member of Parliament (MP) in a physical altercation with a woman first came to my attention from a statement by Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Olivia “Babsy” Grange. When it made the rounds on social media I was shocked at the thought that any Jamaican lawmaker could possibly beat a woman so badly.
The Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) has announced that George Wright is no longer their representative, noting that he will be sitting as an Independent in the House. Our Jamaican laws state that, unless an MP is found guilty of a crime and is sentenced for more than six months, he/she cannot be removed from Parliament.
The police say they have interviewed Wright and a woman, Tannisha Singh, who had filed a complaint that she had been in a physical aaltercation with Wright. However, the decision is to take the case no further.
This issue of gender-based violence (GBV) is at endemic proportions in Jamaica. And, there have been heartbreaking stories of the abuse of our children, sexually and otherwise, in locations ironically described by the State as places of safety.
Then there are the monsters on our roads, killing and maiming innocent passengers. They are either ignorant or uncaring of the rules of the road. Indeed, I ask anti-vaxxers, why are you even going on the road when the possibility of your being injured in a crash is far greater than having a serious adverse reaction to the COVID-19 vaccine?
Breakdown of family life
The root causes of some of these deadly issues are the breakdown of family life, the tolerance of indiscipline of the boy child, the normalising of criminal behaviour by clever gang leaders and in some popular lyrics. It is so sad to see talented musicians imprisoned as they fall victim to their own dangerous propaganda.
Family does not need to be a nuclear unit, as so many have been raised well by fierce and loving single parents, grandparents, and other responsible seniors.
We must be sympathetic to those Jamaicans torn between remaining with their families and seeking a decent living abroad. One particular Jamaican woman of whom I am aware worked hard for years in the US, sending home funds for her children. However, the individuals who had been entrusted with care for the children fell short. By the time she was ready to take them to live with her they had got into trouble with the law and could not apply for residency in the US. She returned home to try to pick up the pieces, but it has not been easy.
Our pathetic minimum wage and the lack of adherence to the decent work agenda, now facilitated by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, is creating anger and frustration in our nation. What message does upper St Andrew send to the children of the inner city when they hear the reports of disrespect and see the frustration of their hard-working parents? There is no easy fix, but if we want to live safely in this Jamaica we had better step up to the myriad challenges as Government, private sector and ordinary citizens.
Jamaica Highlights 