Jamaica has become used to having one of the highest murder rates in the world. So it takes the sort of murders we have had in the past few weeks – men killing women who wanted out of a relationship, followed by their own self murder; and the stabbing to death of an Anglican priest – to create any interest in those of us who must spend part of each and every day, praying both for our own survival and that of our nearest and dearest.
Murder-suicides have become common enough that the “explanation” for it is no longer questioned. Many Jamaican men feel they have a right to control women (and for these men it is always women – not woman) whether those women are wives, girlfriends, passing objects of lust etc. When a woman who they “control” wants to get on with her life without him, a few men respond by killing her and then killing themselves.
When this happens the particular gory details are discussed for a day or two, a thought is given to the motherless children, and the general consensus is that this is just the way of the world. It is fate, albeit a peculiarly female fate….
Then,two weeks ago, Father Richard Johnson of St. Jude’s Anglican Church was found stabbed to death in his home. There was shock and outrage and mourning, even amongst those who did not know the priest. Then the police revealed that the killer was known to them and that he had turned himself in. The killer, a man in his early 20’s known as Bomber, told the police that Father Johnson “attacked him” and he killed him in self-defence – the 45 year old priest was stabbed more than 25 times….Father Johnson was nude at the time of his death and allegedly attacked the young man whom he had “conned” into removing his trousers (to try on a new pair).
Naturally there is no suggestion that Father Johnson was armed or that his attack constituted anything more than a crude, inappropriate and overly aggressive sexual advance, of the type most Jamaican women have experienced from Jamaican men.
But once it was suggested that Father Johnson had made a sexual advance to another man, public opinion immediately turned against the murdered priest. Homophobia kicked in, and not only was the killer released immediately on bail, but he has already been tried and exonerated in the court of public opinion.
Pity us Jamaicans, male and female, who need to believe that God has given permission for at least this one type of murder (killing of men that lie with other men) and therefore this is one time we need not sorrow.
Pity the Jamaican women who are in relationships with violent men and have Dr. Orville Taylor exhorting them to stop complaining about violence against women as Jamaican men are only killing Jamaican women at one tenth of the rate that they kill other Jamaican men.
Unfortunately, it is clear to some of us that this road leads nowhere good.
Since Leviticus also says that “thou shalt not suffer a witch to live”, should this be the new excuse for men that want to kill women, but don’t necessarily want to kill themselves afterwards ?
Should young women confronted with unwanted sexual advances from men twice their age start walking with guns in their handbags ? So they can kill the man if he grabs them ?
Every so often it seems that we have reached a new level of cruelty, hatred and insensitivity to life, as a people and as a society. But then we take it higher…..
Technorati Tags: Jamaican men, Jamaican women, homophobia, murder suicide
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Jamaica and the world 
These love triangle murder suicides are fairly and frighteningly common in Trinidad. Before I used to hear of it as an Indian phenomenon which was the subject of much humor. Since I have been in Trinidad however, I have come to see just how serious and dangerous the situation really is… Some of these guys [and not only those of Indian descent] take romantic relationships way too seriously and respond dramatically when things don’t work out. One guy recently killed his ex wife and her new husband some 3 years after they had parted company!!
Very scary situation indeed. I didn’t realise it had caught on in JA. Sad. and VERY sad about the priest..
These love triangle murder suicides are fairly and frighteningly common in Trinidad. Before I used to hear of it as an Indian phenomenon which was the subject of much humor. Since I have been in Trinidad however, I have come to see just how serious and dangerous the situation really is… Some of these guys [and not only those of Indian descent] take romantic relationships way too seriously and respond dramatically when things don’t work out. One guy recently killed his ex wife and her new husband some 3 years after they had parted company!!
Very scary situation indeed. I didn’t realise it had caught on in JA. Sad. and VERY sad about the priest..
it’s not just Jamaicans who find reasons to kill. The entire Caribbean has become more violent. The funny thing is that in Barbados, it seems to me, the more women move towards an equitable position in society the more dangerous (for women) and anti-woman the society has become. But this change is being over-shadowed by what is considered the more pressing matter of “men in crisis”.
it’s not just Jamaicans who find reasons to kill. The entire Caribbean has become more violent. The funny thing is that in Barbados, it seems to me, the more women move towards an equitable position in society the more dangerous (for women) and anti-woman the society has become. But this change is being over-shadowed by what is considered the more pressing matter of “men in crisis”.
This is obviously a Jamaica bashing site, it must be a trini or someone from one of them small islands running this.
This is obviously a Jamaica bashing site, it must be a trini or someone from one of them small islands running this.
Im an educated woman and i have been trapped in a violent relationship with a jamaican for the past five years. being with this man has made me ill menatally and physically and i feel i cant get out because i have kids.
I doubt that this site is run by a smallie. However, it is true that Jamaicans are unfortunately the most ignorant nation on the planet. Thats because the light skinned and white elite who own and run the country treat most of you like pigs, grow you up like pigs and so well, you cant help but grow up like pigs and teach your children to behave like pigs. Pity really. WE smallies just stay out of your way and let you get on with the busy business of kiling each other off. Mind you, you make good music..so as long as you make music we dont really care if you like killing (and maybe) eating each other. lol
Smallie, i would suggest that you refraining from posting stupid comments if you don’t have anything to say. Yes, Jamaica has crime and violent but then again point me to a country which doesn’t have it. Obviously yu know nothing about Jamaicans and the ways in which they rear their children. Get facts before yuh chat crop. Thank you.
I am Jamaican and I agree with Smallie though I’d say it was the light skinned and white elite who are the pigs and the rest of us the other barnyard animals turning each other into glue (in the Orwellian sense).
I have to admit I would react pretty much the same( maybe a degree less violent) if a man, especially priest came on to me that way. I can understand the point about women being harassed though. People coming to me begging me for money or trying to sell me something just once per day maybe and I find that extremely bothersome, so I can just imagine. These aggressive men however have much more success for some reason than I with the average Jamaican woman, and so I sometimes envy them and wonder if that’s the route to go. But I cannot bring myself to do unto others as I would not like for them to do to me.
i am going to sell out my stuff right now and buy a oneway ticket to cuba and ask them please to allow me to live in their country, i will enjoy myself , i dont eat much. i do love castro ruling. too much crime in little jamaica, i just cant take it anymore, everything is just rotten and stink right now,
i have a boyfriend from trinidad but i just start talking to him but i dont feel as hes controling or anything in that way. he treat me with the up most respect and i think im starting to enjoy him so i was wondering is that how it always start or is that a good thing because i have two kids and right now i do not need any of the negativity going on. i myself dont feel like hes a bad guy i been doing research on it and not getting nothing but bad results but maybe i need to find out for my self. hopefully he wil brake the cycle