What next inna Jamaica?

[Assasin]

Donkey meat traded for guns


The Old Harbour [COLOR=blue! important][COLOR=blue! important]police[/COLOR][/COLOR] and the St Catherine Public Health Department are investigating claims that the 'meat' from 10 donkeys slaughtered in the parish last week might have been sent to Haiti as part of the illicit 'guns-for-drugs' trade between that country and Jamaica.
Speaking with THE STAR yesterday, Chief Public Health Inspector for St Catherine, Anthony Williams, said since [COLOR=blue! important][COLOR=blue! important]hearing[/COLOR][/COLOR] the rumour, the department has deployed a team to look into it.
"I heard the rumour last weekend and I immediately dispatched a team to investigate it," Williams said. "We are yet to come up with anything - but so far our investigations have proven that the alleged meat is not a part of our local meat supply."
He said the illegal gun-[COLOR=blue! important][COLOR=blue! important]trading[/COLOR][/COLOR] activities between Haiti and Jamaica, taking place on the island's south coast, tends to be a 'closed-circuit' one that very few outside that inner circle may have credible information on. He said that this makes it is difficult to get authentic information on the rumoured 'donkey-meat' trade as many persons give information off hearsay and not necessarily first-hand factual knowledge.
Inspector Selwyn Williams, subofficer in charge of the Old Harbour police, said they are tracking the allegations but are yet to uncover any leads. "We are investigating the speculations but we haven't uncovered anything yet," he said. "We heard the rumour and are tracking the whole thing." Last Friday, the heads of 10 donkeys and several bags, stuffed full of intestines, were discovered on a farm in Church Pen, Old Harbour. Following the gruesome find, speculations flew wildly that the 'foreign' meat might have been incorporated with other meats on the island's market. The St Catherine Public Health Department dismissed the assumption however, assuring consumers that this was not the case.

[Mosiah]

So happy I have resumed my vegetarian lifestyle.

[Peter R]

pity...they say you'd get a kick out of eating donkey.

[Mosiah]

if is ongle dat, i can live widout it. now, if it giving me some other characteristics, i might think about it.

[Historian]

Re: What next inna Jamaica?

Infant criminals
Children as young as 3 years old being taught to smoke , drink and hold gunsBY ERICA VIRTUE Sunday Observer writer virtuee@jamaicaobserver.com
Sunday, July 27, 2008

CHILDREN in some of Jamaica's toughest neighbourhoods begin training for their lives of crime from as early as age three when they are first taught to smoke marijuana, drink alcohol and use a gun, according to a senior investigator with the intelligence arm of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), who has worked in law enforcement for more than two decades.

"The child criminals I have encountered during my 25-plus years in the JCF have lost their soul. They have no emotions. They have no fear. They have no feelings. They do not know how to reason. They only know how to commit criminal acts. It is the only thing they know to do well." said the investigator, who did not wish to be named.


"At three years old, some are already acquainted with ganja smoking, alcohol consumption and how to even handle the gun... they already know how to correctly hold a gun, and also know where the guns were hidden." the police veteran said.

Sunday Observer investigations reveal that older siblings, fathers, family friends and 'elders' in some inner-city communities were responsible for this early criminal initiation.

The investigator, who has worked the streets of some of the city's most violent police divisions, told the Sunday Observer that a large percentage of the nation's youths knew nothing else but crime, abuse and violence. His remarks were backed up by police statistics, and supported by Dr Henley Morgan, who chairs an inner-city project.

"By the time a child reaches six or seven, his personality and make-up is a done deal. He is already predisposed to crime and violence. Shaped from in the womb. And you have to live it and see it to believe it," said Morgan, chairman of Caribbean Applied Technology in Trench Town.

According to Morgan, in some communities, based on empirical data, children were predisposed to crime and violence and, "by the time the child is 13 years, they would have completed the ritual of the criminal initiation. The process is done between age six and 13 years."

According to the police investigator, the longevity of the criminal legacy now has older children passing on their knowledge to younger siblings, as well as to their friends.

According to law enforcement officials and at least one social worker interviewed by the Sunday Observer, some youngsters had more than 10 years' experience in the ways of crime, although they were still under 15 years old. Even more frightening, the officials say, was the fact that these young criminals were showing the same appetite for murder and mayhem as their older relatives and other community members before them.

It is this criminal legacy that is now paralysing the state's crime-fighting and justice apparatus, sending Government and Opposition into uncharacteristic huddles of consensus ranging from talks at Vale Royal to anti-crime plans.

But it will take a lot more than talks and plans to reverse the current police statistics documenting the danger to generations of Jamaicans.

Statistics from the police showed, for example, that in 2006, 82 youngsters between the ages of 12 and 15 years were arrested for all categories of major crimes in that year - including murders - while 98 in this same age group were arrested in 2005.

In 2005, a total of 826 youngsters between the ages of 12 and 20 years were arrested for all categories of major crimes.

The 'ripe' criminal age group, according to the police, is 18-25 years but according to the investigator, while that age group was still the police's biggest headache, they were being replaced by 12-13 year-olds.

Safe Schools Ambassador Lawman Lynch, who is also a youth and community development consultant, said the current developing criminal minds have to be rescued.

"The upcoming generation can only be rescued through education, massive social intervention (which is a proactive solution) and our security forces going head-to-head with these criminals," he told Sunday Observer by electronic mail.

Lynch, who is also from an inner-city community and is president of the KSA Action Forum Youth Organisation, believes that social intervention must factor in parenting.

"Social intervention programmes will also need to heavily focus on parenting, as after islandwide consultations with hundreds of young people, it was proven that there is dire need for good parents," he said. "Unfortunately, our parents need to learn how to be parents."
Lynch, who is also a recipient of the Prime Minister's Youth Award, said the need for behaviour modification is critical.

[Islandman]

This story has a chilling resemblance to the child soldiers we hear about in Africas civil wars, particularly Sierra Leonne.

[Historian]

Interesting point, Islandman.

In fact, I've long noticed that Jamaica, probably more than any other English-speaking Caribbean country, tends to absorb and display the positive and negative aspects of West Africa and East Africa.

Thus we see, for example, the practice of the Rastafarians in blatantly, and proudly, displaying Africa-related colors on their flags, in flagrant disregard of the green, gold and black of our beloved flag! Of course, no one in Jamaica has the guts to question the obvious lack of patriotism by these rasta fellows.

Then, there is the pride with which certain sectors of the society speak garbage about "Back to Africa"! Now "Forward Jamaica," but rather, "Back to Africa"! Again, a lack of patriotism that is not found to any great degree in other Caribbean nations.

But I digress....

[Historian]

Correction:

The sentence "Now 'Forward Jamaica,' but rather, 'Back to Africa' " should read "Not 'Forward Jamaica,' but...."

[Mosiah]

Are you serious?

[Bruce]

Does That Mean You Won't Eat Pummypummy?

So happy I have resumed my vegetarian lifestyle.

Does that mean you will no longer eat:

Tuna Tacos, Fur burgers, Hair Pie, Pink Salmon, or Brown Trout?
(pummypummy)

Will you still be able to eat any of the above with whipped cream?

[Mosiah]

well...i would answer you but it's family forum.

[Muadib]

Big Ears ?

[Rockman]

I have great respect for Rasta, and with very good reasons.

Blessed

[Mosiah]

ahm...nope.