Since the alarming rise in the Island crime and murder rate, the Jamaican public has been demanding the resumption of hanging. Many in the Jamaican public see the resumption of this form of capital punishment as one of the main ways to curb the escalating crime rate. The Prime Minister himself has announced in his latest address to the nation that his administration is considering pursuing the resumption of hanging. The leader of the opposition has also expressed his support for this form of punishment. So with all this support, why is it that the convicted criminals are not being punished for their crime?
Well, who are the ones against it? The Human Rights organizations are one of the most vocal group of people against this form of punishment. The other anti-hanging supporter is the UK and the EU. The the British Member of the European Parliament, on her visit to Jamaica said, "It's a fundamental issue for the European Union. It's a written-in commitment that no member state of the union will have the death penalty". In other words she is saying that no country that is begging (especially Jamaica) from the UK and the EU will be allowed to resume hanging even if they have the highest murder rate. You can read the article here.
The crime situation in this country has become a malignant tumor, that is crippling the country and driving fear in it's residents. Since the sharp increase in our crime rate the investor confidence in this country has plummeted and the tourist arrival ia also on the decline. These criminals have now even turned to not only raping and murdering women, but also young teenage girls and worst nine and eight year olds! I just read an article in the Sunday Gleaner about three women who were abducted from a bar, raped then beaten, shot and thrown into a sewage main. The crime situation is this country has gotten out of hand and all the attempts the government have made, have failed. This is now one of the last resorts and some external foggies who don't have to deal with the enormous crime rate are saying we should not implement a measure to combat it.
Why should we keep these criminals running on the loose terrorizing and murdering us and those convicted in jail getting fat from our hard earned money? Murderers should pay. Some may argue that innocent persons may pay the ultimate price. However, there are persons on death row who without a shadow of a doubt committed violent crimes and should be made to pay. Dem fi hang! Di damn murderers fi hang. These criminals have nothing to fear. They know that they have a good chance of not getting caught and even if they get caught they will just go to jail and still enjoy life. And ever so often some of these murderers escape from jail only to prey upon innocent people.
This alarming crime situation and these senseless, wanton murder needs to be curtailed. I'm not saying that hanging is the answer, but it can be a deterrent. And in a situation like this, it's worth trying. What do you think?
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12 commented:
Hanging gunmen, etc won't really solve anything in my opinion as there are many willing to fill their places. The root of the problem lies elsewhere.
And if we are looking at deterants - I feel the bigger deterant would be to increase the likelihood that criminals get caught for the crimes the commit.
Execution as a deterrent to criminal activity has never held water statistically. The issue of hangings as purely punitive measure on the other hand is an entirely different matter. So consider these thoughts from someone who is not entirely opposed to the concept.
Once a state decides to administer capital punishment, it is then obligated to ensure that its judicial system is so designed as to prevent mistakes; by providing fair prosecution and an exhaustive defence. Can we Caribbean nationals make that case for our justice systems? Can anyone honestly make the claim that the courts never get it wrong? These are questions that we in St Lucia were forced to face in the mid-nineties. The answers did not cast us in a favourable light.
It would seem that it is relatively easy to hand out a death sentence. Stomping out the root causes of the escalating violence and wide spread corruption in our societies is infinitely more difficult.
I agree with Shotta M - only more convictions will help the problem. That and education. I've heard about the crime problem in Jamaica. I was there about 9 years ago with my family, I had a great time. But I would never even consider it today - tourism dollars can really help the economy so it is clear that something needs to be done soon.
IMHO, the re-implementation of capital punishment may help the situation. I, however, am in support of more wholistic approaches to solving the crime problem. Getting to the root of it is the first step. Broken homes, a poor education system, poverty, unemployment are some of the major factors that lead to the increase in crime. Because these essential infrastructure are not in place, persons turn to a life of crime - drugs, extortion, rape, murder, etc in rebellion and some as a means of survival. I also support a 0 tolerance of the security forces in apprehending and shooting to kill any one purported to be a criminal. Get rid of them one at a time.
Enough of these hypocritical human rights activitists who cry foul when a criminal is gunned down by the police. Fiya fi dem.
I don't think the hanging is gonna help. We need to get to a crime elimination campaign instead of crime deterrent. These guys have been allowed by police and politicians to get away with too much for too long and now they are seemingly untouchable.
Have to agree with Dorna, Even though I am in favour of Hanging myself.
I'm not necessarily a fan of capital punishment, but sometimes it's really hard to see these people living after they committ these violent acts against humanity, it's a really difficult think to see.
I must agree with you Dorna, about the justice system. I know that the justice system in the caribbean is far from perfect, especially Jamaica's. We do need th tackle that and also I agree with everyone on the fact that we need to get to the root of this crime situation. We also need th stamp out curruption within the police force and the damn politicians.
However, these criminals need to pay for the terrible things that they have done and continue to do.
Yo - excellent subject my brother. But as many of your commentators have said, that is only the tip of the iceberg, in terms of fighting crime. How ironic is it, when education is a part of the root cause, in an island state which has some of the best tertiary and specialist education in the region and beyond!
It doesn't deter crime so we may have to tackle the root causes.Another thing is the finality so we have to make sure we sending a guilty man to the noose
Hanging never solved a thing. I come from a country where public executions was (and still is) a spectacle. dont change nothing.
When you poor anything and everyone is up for grabs. I'm not a liberal but the noose solves nothing.
Great minds think alike Dr.D, lol!
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