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LETTER OF THE DAY A lunatic, spiral of self-destruction
Published: Saturday | October 2, 2010
The Editor, Sir: In his letter of September 12, Eric Gaynor of Mandeville suggested that my prescriptive analysis of the present problems in Jamaica as madness was simplistic and the narrow focus of a mono-vision professional psychiatric perception.
I am grateful for his concession that my proposal, nonetheless, should elicit serious public debate. The recent devastation of our country by the prolonged heavy rains that has resulted in the loss of several lives and the massive destruction of roads and physical structures will serve to illustrate my argument and, hopefully, bring some insight or 'overstanding'.
personality disorders
If a significant number of our town-planning authorities, contrac-tors, engineers, housing developers and road menders suffer from the psychiatric condition of moderate to severe personality disorders, where transgression is a funda-mental attribute, then no amount of legislation, regulatory authority or bureaucratic administration will prevent their avarice and greed from authorising illegal building structures from disobeying building codes and promulgating poor engineering practices and shoddy workmanship on a hapless community.
The overbuilding of habitable rooms per acre of land, the unlawful building on dangerous gully sites and the hopelessly inadequate road repairs by criminals masquerading as supervisory engineers are the logical manifestations of these mentally ill people who we have trusted to protect our country and our interests. Extortion and corruption are logical extensions of this lunacy. The massive road destruction and horrendous building disasters and resulting loss of life, property and resources are also the inevitable result. Nor will these mentally ill transgressors admit to their wrongdoings and make restitution for their lunatic behaviour.
psychotic illnesses
If a policeman, for argument's sake, has a severe homicidal psychotic illness that goes unrecognised, or is deliberately protected and defended, then placing a gun in his hand is a lethal and criminal act. If, as our epidemiological studies suggest, at least one in every two Jamaicans suffer from some form of debilitating mental illness, then the logical conclusion must dictate that their daily work, family and community activities will be tinged with lunatic behaviour. In such a situation, logical thinking, legislative action and rules without accountability will not protect us from the disaster that this country has become.
Only massive psychiatric and rehabilitative treatment will suffice, and only supervised group theraphy will prevail. If the people we have entrusted to lead and protect us are themselves untrustworthy, then we are locked in a never-ending spiral of self-destruction.
I am, etc.,
FREDERICK W. HICKLING
fred@fredhickling.com
Published: Saturday | October 2, 2010
The Editor, Sir: In his letter of September 12, Eric Gaynor of Mandeville suggested that my prescriptive analysis of the present problems in Jamaica as madness was simplistic and the narrow focus of a mono-vision professional psychiatric perception.
I am grateful for his concession that my proposal, nonetheless, should elicit serious public debate. The recent devastation of our country by the prolonged heavy rains that has resulted in the loss of several lives and the massive destruction of roads and physical structures will serve to illustrate my argument and, hopefully, bring some insight or 'overstanding'.
personality disorders
If a significant number of our town-planning authorities, contrac-tors, engineers, housing developers and road menders suffer from the psychiatric condition of moderate to severe personality disorders, where transgression is a funda-mental attribute, then no amount of legislation, regulatory authority or bureaucratic administration will prevent their avarice and greed from authorising illegal building structures from disobeying building codes and promulgating poor engineering practices and shoddy workmanship on a hapless community.
The overbuilding of habitable rooms per acre of land, the unlawful building on dangerous gully sites and the hopelessly inadequate road repairs by criminals masquerading as supervisory engineers are the logical manifestations of these mentally ill people who we have trusted to protect our country and our interests. Extortion and corruption are logical extensions of this lunacy. The massive road destruction and horrendous building disasters and resulting loss of life, property and resources are also the inevitable result. Nor will these mentally ill transgressors admit to their wrongdoings and make restitution for their lunatic behaviour.
psychotic illnesses
If a policeman, for argument's sake, has a severe homicidal psychotic illness that goes unrecognised, or is deliberately protected and defended, then placing a gun in his hand is a lethal and criminal act. If, as our epidemiological studies suggest, at least one in every two Jamaicans suffer from some form of debilitating mental illness, then the logical conclusion must dictate that their daily work, family and community activities will be tinged with lunatic behaviour. In such a situation, logical thinking, legislative action and rules without accountability will not protect us from the disaster that this country has become.
Only massive psychiatric and rehabilitative treatment will suffice, and only supervised group theraphy will prevail. If the people we have entrusted to lead and protect us are themselves untrustworthy, then we are locked in a never-ending spiral of self-destruction.
I am, etc.,
FREDERICK W. HICKLING
fred@fredhickling.com