This is not looking good. ODPEM is warning residents to be prepared and stock up, fishers to leave the coast and people to leave low-lying areas. Stay safe everyone.
Matthew
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Usain on James Corden
Crime in Jamaica: A visit to the Twilight Zone
As a foreigner, even though I have been here almost five years, I am loath to comment or theorize about the reasons for the country’s high crime rates. This post by fellow blogger explicates a lot of my own theories and suspicions. It is a good read. Check it out.
Jamaica has a parallel ‘universe’, where crime lives, & it’s a mental as much as physical space, born from our notions of exceptionalism. It’s a kind of Twilight Zone, whose borders seem to be expancing.
Former National Security Minister, Peter Bunting recently renewed his call for a high level summit,chaired by Prime Minister Andrew Holness, with support from the relevant ministries that will give support to the implementation of social intervention strategies. This was in response to a rapidly escalating level of murders in western Jamaica.
With the best will in the world, it’s the sort of thing politicians will suggest: they are people used to exercising power and influence and see that as a process that comes from above. Personally, I think that while such approaches might have worked at some stages in the past, it’s not clear that they have much hope now? Why?
The battle…
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I’m Black. Does America Have a Plan for My Life?
I’m Black. Does America Have a Plan for My Life?
via New York Times. Well worth your time, especially as the country counts down the hours to the presidential debate.
“Investigative journalism is very, very expensive”
“Investigative journalism is very, very expensive.” 18 Degrees North founder Zahra Burton speaks to third-year journalism students at University of Technology. Students wanted to give her a vote of thanks at the end. Thanks, Zahra for sharing your knowledge, wisdom and valuable experience.
Crime to be reduced!
Fatal shootings by the police are expected to be reduced with the handing over of 3,500 non-lethal kits to the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) yesterday, a donation from the Embassy of the United States of America.
This would be an example of what not to do in a lead that I would show to my students. I would actually refer to this as a press release rather than a news story. If this story were about a kitten that walked from Spanish Town to Montego Bay in search of his owner, or the largest coconut in Jamaica, I would welcome a fluff piece. But when it comes to national security and the use of potentially deadly weapons (mace can be fatal), fluff pieces are dangerous. Reporters here seem to forget that they are performing a public service, upholding a pillar of democracy, which is unfortunate.
As usual, more questions than answers with this Jamaica Gleaner story.
- Why will fatal shootings be reduced?
- What is a “non-lethal kit”?
- Will this create more risk to police officers?
- What kind of training do they receive?
- “Non-lethal kits” are already in use- how much have fatal shootings been reduced?
- How does the use of these kits fit in with the overall crime reduction strategy?
- Why did the Embassy decide to make this donation?
- Will police officers still carry guns? How do they make the decision on how to protect themselves?
I could go on. If only the media were doing their job…
Access to Information- Jamaica
Last week in class, I asked the students if anyone had ever filed an Access to Information Request with the government. No hands raised. I told them a little bit about my experience with the system. It was mixed. For some requests, the response was speedy. For another group of requests, I have yet to have a response from almost two years ago. This is in contravention with the 30-day law, via the Access to Information Act.
I encouraged the students to file requests, although most said they did not know how. One student pointed out that people don’t really know or understand much about this fundamental right. In this light, Jamaicans for Justice has made this short clip about Access to Information in JA. Check it out.
Say you do
Sixteen-year-old Imani Williams of the U.K. filmed this in JA. Enjoy.
Andrews canteen
Some of the best food I’ve ever eaten in Kingston comes from Andrews Memorial Hospital Cafeteria. It is a vegetarian cafeteria, as it is operated by the Seventh Day Adventist Church, a religion that typically encourages a vegetarian diet.
Resting
Resting feet at Devon House.
Jamaican Journal 