During During his previous tenure as police commissioner, Major General Antony Anderson, while speaking at a Kiwanis Club meeting, said young males had become an endangered species in the country.

Just this week, St James’ Commander, Superintendent Eron Samuels, in a speech to mark International Men’s Day, made the startling revelation that more than 95 percent of those detained by police in the parish were young people who, according to him, “could have been real pillars of society”. society if they had chosen a different path. He further noted that of the 186 people detained, only 10 were women.

Looking at St James as a microcosm of Jamaican society, it is clear that too many of our young people have chosen a life of crime, while many of them have become murderers or are being murdered. Added to this alarming situation are the numerous extrajudicial executions allegedly carried out by the police, most of the victims being young men.

Interestingly, in Jamaican culture there are different descriptive names for young men: “little youth”, “big youth” or even “young man”. Recent statistics have revealed that the country’s population is decreasing and some experts attribute this to women taking greater precautions about their reproductive choices. But a wise cynic has highlighted the fact that many young men have experienced low sperm counts due to excessive exposure to ganja consumption as well as bleaching, both of which contain certain chemicals that can be very harmful for the man’s ability to successfully impregnate a female.

In another sphere of national life, the consumption of ganja and hard liquor has been blamed for many fatal accidents occurring on our roads. This whole scenario speaks to a dysfunctional society in which many of our young men also have mental health issues related to depression, unemployment, in addition to the various “pressure points” bombarding hundreds of “young people” who lack the necessary care. coping skills.

Many years ago, the famous talk show host, the late Wilmot “Motty” Perkins, lamented the fact that many sections of Jamaica, particularly in the inner-city enclaves and increasingly in the rural areas of the country, had become incubators of producers of violence. and criminals. He often quoted a concerned young woman from the ghetto who had appeared on his popular show. Perkins online, who pointed out that, in these areas, “it was good to be bad.”

I vividly remember being asked to give a pep talk to some Year 6 boys at a school in St James on Boys’ Day and I was quite surprised by the response I received of a little young person who, in answering the question, what would you like to do? will be when you grow up, responded forcefully with his hand in the air: “Sir, I want to be a shooter!”

What was even more disturbing was when several of his classmates chirped in unison: “It’s true he talks, sir, his father is a shooter!” » I was momentarily speechless. Of course, this dramatic revelation occurred against the backdrop of St James having the dubious distinction of being the murder capital of Jamaica.

One of the tragedies of Jamaica today is that successive governments have placed greater emphasis on economic performance and infrastructure while ignoring what is perhaps the most important part of Jamaica’s overall development. a nation: its social capital.

In this regard, we continue to see the social disintegration of our school systems, ravaged by violence and gross indiscipline. Indeed, a secondary school principal recently remarked, in response to Prime Minister Andrew Holness’s latest “grand design”, dubbed “Jamaica’s Next Chapter” – and rightly so – that our politicians continue to miss the mark. check mark by bypassing or downplaying the crucial importance of strengthening the nation’s social protection. capital.

In real terms, social capital is the value of positive connections between people and the benefits that flow from them. It is a set of shared values ​​or resources that enable individuals to work together within a group to effectively achieve a common goal. All these ideals must be based on empowering people and instilling the values ​​and attitudes that make us useful and happy citizens. This obsession with the “prosperity” mantra, which sees materialism as the ultimate solution to national development, is myopic and doomed to failure. This is why the ruling Jamaica Labor Party (JLP), and its leader Andrew “Brogad” Holness, has fallen dramatically in the polls. Frankly speaking, pouring concrete and asphalt cannot and should not be the way a country boasts of its progress and growth.

Meanwhile, there was also talk of leveraging all the benefits of Brand Jamaica. Here again, the focus should not be solely on inanimate or intangible objects, but it should be emphasized, repeatedly, that people must remain at the center of any “next chapter.”

And this is not a departure from the People’s National Party (PNP) with slogans. What has started to happen in the lucrative tourism industry, where workers are now demanding their fair share of the pie, is just the tip of the iceberg. Most Jamaicans have not forgotten the huge pay rises given to MPs and other government bigwigs. “Tom drunk, but Tom is not stupid.”

Yes, there have been a number of social and even economic interventions aimed at our young men and women, but the issue of our “youth” has now become a national crisis and must be treated as such. A former US ambassador, Gary Cooper, who was not afraid to shoot from the hip, castigated the behavior of our national decision-makers who tended to make announcements but not follow through.

This weekend, JLP leader Andrew Holness will again unveil a menu of treats, especially in the context of the upcoming general election, at his party’s annual conference, but after the fanfare and exuberant cries of “Shower ! “, the question that must be asked is: Where is the beef?

And, in this regard, the plight of the young Jamaican must take center stage if we are to prevent this nation from ultimately becoming another Haiti. Enough said!

Lloyd B Smith has been involved full-time in Jamaican media for 49 years. He also served as a deputy and vice-speaker of the House of Representatives. He is from western Jamaica, where he is commonly known as the Governor. Send your comments to the Jamaica Observer or [email protected].