Numbed to Crime
This is what I want to ask you. Have you become immune? We’ve already reached about 353 murders for the year with 16 killing days left. That’s 353. And we have a population of about 1.3 million people. Last year I think we ended on 389. When will absolute disgust actually set in? Will it ever set in or have we passed it without ever knowing it?
I think that whether we realize it or not every day we become less and less horrified by the carnage. Is who getting chop, who getting shoot who missing for weeks. It’s not strange to hear about another murder, in fact it’s strange if a day goes by without a killing of some sort. I think that 353 murders in 349 days bears testimony of that.
Sometimes I try to convince myself that no, I’m not getting immune, it’s just that I’m busy and I “doh have time to take on dat”. But can that really be true when I don’t remember the name of one person who got murdered last month let alone last week. Not one. Can anyone of you name someone off the tops of your heads?
What’s interesting to note though is that St. Lucia’s murder rate for the year was 35 and the people there were so disgusted by it that they voted out their government and put the Opposition in its place - all for 35 murders. So who is we? We have 10 times that and we still henging on to the same Government. Cross your fingers.
On a completely random note, have you ever had a week that was so bad that at the height of your incredulity, you wonder if you are in fact dreaming it all? That was my week. Sorry for not posting regularly.
13 Responses to “Numbed to Crime”
By Crankyputz on Dec 15, 2006 | Reply
I think its sad, you guys have such a wonderful spirit about you, why all the craziness? A person for each day of the year almost, that is insane.
Hope your weekend is better……
By Mani on Dec 15, 2006 | Reply
It is sad. There’s something rotten here and I’m not sure we know right now how to fix it.
Thanks crankyputz, but it won’t get better for a while.
By Atasha on Dec 15, 2006 | Reply
Hmmm…that is no good. Well you know the situation over here is no better but it does jus’ upset me so much that I stop watching news years ago. Ah not saying that any murder is acceptable, but who in dey right mind will kill a child/baby. It’s sickening and I can’t stand to hear/read about it.
By Alexia on Dec 15, 2006 | Reply
Mani long time no post. Been looking in now and then.
Yes, I think I have become numb to it. I no longer even log on to the express and guardian everyday like I use to and I think that’s why I am not visting the blogs as much anymore. It is so sad there’s no more words to explain it.
What ever St. Lucia did to keep their crime rate at 35 our gov’t should be asking them for assistance, but we know that will never happen.
At a point in time I was angry when I called home and ask my family and friends how are they coping with the crime and their answers were so non-chalant like they did not care, but now I see that there is a breaking point. I know now that its not that they were’nt concern. It’s so much you can take and then what else can you do, but try and live in your bubble, hoping that you are not a victim of this madness that has taken over our country.
How has it affected you Mani? Do you ever think of migrating? I ask because I think come next year my entire family will be leaving because they can no longer live the life that they have, meaning having the luxury items without fearing for their life.
Mani why are we importing chicken, don’t Trinidad have local chicken farms anymore. What happen to awarak? I think its so ridiculus that an island has to import chicken. Don’t no body want to get their hands dirty any more to make an honest living?
By JohnBoy on Dec 16, 2006 | Reply
Mani, I think I said to you before. The problem is us! You or eye didnt kill anybody but it wasnt insurgents or some clandestine terrorist organisation, it is Trinis just like we who raping committing infanticide and all kinda unspeakable acts. Fearfully I think we reach a fightening place somewhere like Iraq where unless it have a bully to maintain order (which nobody wants) then the lawlessness will continue. We always had the big stick mentality.
By ed on Dec 16, 2006 | Reply
At some point you have to get numbed to it, otherwise you’d just spend all your time being upset. Of course, Pastor Manning seems to have started OUT being numbed to it, which is maybe not very helpful.
In fairness, St. Lucia has about 160,000 people, so 35 murders is almost as bad per capita as the Trinidadian situation.
By Mani on Dec 18, 2006 | Reply
Atasha, I’ve been tempted to stop watching news a long time ago. Sadly I can’t help but to keep looking at the car wreck.
Alexia, well I was wondering where you were. I say school have yuh busy, busy. As Ed said, 35 murders in a year for St. Lucia is almost as bad as Trinidad considering their small population size.
I guess it has affected me a little. My sister got robbed once while walking down the road, and a friend of mine from school was shot and killed when someone tried to take his car away from him. But I still think I’ve been blessed. I have thought about migrating but it’s something I don’t want to rush into.
We’re importing chicken because the gov’t says prices are too high. The farmers say prices are high because feed prices are high. No word on how feed prices on internationally grown chicken is lower.
Johnboy, well no doubt that there are lawless Trinis out there. I think we are a lawless people period.
Ed, true, which is why Patos needs to take a breather to learn to care again.
Thanks for STL’s population stats. I had no idea they were so low.
By GIJoe on Dec 19, 2006 | Reply
backing up what ed said, the per capita figures are a better gauge. living over here (st.lu) now i can attest that crime is a big issue, but mostly because it’s a small island. murder is getting to be an issue, but there are way more heinous crimes being committed far more regularly, with an insanely disproportionate level of punishment attributed to those that are caught.
i know i became numb to it way too long ago. i’m sure most doh want to admit it, but we are heavily desensitised. however, that numb state of coping with reality doesn’t excuse us from dealing with the reality of the situation around us. i wish i had the staples ‘easy’ button solution, but i fear that would mean changing all our names to numbers, and doing the jobs our physical attributes dictated rather than our mentalities.
my tuesday waiting-for-lunch-to-come thoughts.
By ttfootball on Dec 19, 2006 | Reply
Today I was threatened by a man who drove up behind me and my mother then passed within 6″ of us and more vex than the world when I say well he coulda jes blow he horn…I think I saw there just how easy it is, all the shit that has been happening here in trinidad, so i will jes cool my self for my lil’ vacation oui…
By Anonymous on Dec 26, 2006 | Reply
I don’t expect to live long and see no future here. But I don’t like the lifestyle “North” either.
If only we had a dollar for dollar programme for burglar proofing since the 70’s we wouldn’t be in this mess.
By Afrobella on Dec 30, 2006 | Reply
Mani, this is so sadly true. So I enjoyed most of my vacation here at home, until Bert Allette got murdered. He was a good, good friend of the family. I’ve known him for years. When he was a baby, his family used to rent a house from my Tantie Iris, so my family has known him since he was very little. He was supposed to come by us for Old Year’s, and just like that… dead. And nobody seems truly shocked. It broke my heart how matter-of-fact everyone is. Bert was a good, peaceful, caring man. A father of two boys who are good students, into athletics, coming up on the right path. And now he’s gone. For what????? I just feel so heartbroken over the state of this country today. I am constantly worried about my family - they don’t want to move and some of them still go shopping downtown and in St. James like is nothing. I feel afraid being here, and I honestly can’t say that about life in the States. I go back on Monday and I wish my whole family could come with me, just so I could KNOW that they are safe as well. =(
By Mani on Jan 2, 2007 | Reply
GIJoe, I like that - changing our names to numbers. Only if the easy button worked for everything. Do you you fear for you life living in st. lucia though?
ttfootball, I think part of the reason for our crime situation is how aggressive we are. Anything from mashing a foot in a fete to giving someone a “bad drive” could get you knocked off. I’m glad you and your mother are ok though.
Anon, lol. Well I don’t blame you for wanting to leave.
Afrobella, I was so sorry to hear about this. Even though I think I am numbed to crime, hearing from someone who actually knew Bert Allette I guess kind of shook me up. It’s so senseless his killing. These days you don’t have to hang out with the wrong crowd or sell drugs in order to get killed. You could be a peaceful law-abiding person and still meet an untimely death. I’m so sorry for your loss.
By vï†æ on Jan 7, 2007 | Reply
Some things about life can really suck. My country’s no different, in fact, we’ve been having political killings as prelude to our coming elections. I know it’s sad, especially when your watching from a disillusioned standpoint.
Kudos to your blog Mani! You also describe statistics really well!! Keep it up!!