BRING BACK FLOGGING THEN - Veronica Blake Carnegie.

The 5 of us, at the cross roads of our lives, sit in Half Way Tree bearing placards to force immediate action against crime and criminals. What a hell! The killers seem to say their ‘eeenie-meenie-mynie-moh’ and strike their victims, young or old, rich or poor, green or orange, local or foreign and dare us with ‘catch us if you can’ as they watch the police turn over stones. The Commissioner, with each shocking murder announce-ment, consoles mourners that ‘no stones will be left unturned until the killers are found. Since the murder rate has escalated with our dollar and since we are frightened and still shaking from the news of the murdered missionaries, we decided to take to the streets with our placards. Is the FBI, CIA, DEA and other foreign officials here to investigate the murder of American citizens?

The new Minister of Security suggested hanging the murderous wretches but some people who never lost a loved one to the gun, say ‘no way to that primitive form of punishment. But look at the barbaric ways in which these violent Jamaicans take lives by beheading, cutting off limbs, multiple stabbing, shooting with 6 or more bullets in victims and other primitive ways too horrible to mention. 

Young men who leave their homes each night, armed with guns they did not buy, to ‘make duppies’ must be punished and we suggest hanging them for the primitive-style murders they commit. Our placards, however, read: BRING BACK FLOGGING. Bring back the strap, the belt, the cat o’ nine, the tamarind switch, the cane, the horse whip that lictors will use on convicted child molesters, rapists (priests, parents, teachers, labourers), thieves (blue-collar and praedial), Justices of the Peace who continue to charge exorbitant fees for stamping documents, corrupt government officials some of whom sell licenses, and police officers who practise extortion and who break the law.

All of the above; aristocrat or commoner, PHd or semi-literate, male or female, if found guilty by a court that knows how to expedite, will be given a 3 month sentence and flogging, 6-12 lashes on the buttocks. Flogging is a deterrent and we have to use something to check this out-of-control crime crisis while the thinkers sit, wring their hands and meditate their next move. As soon as flogging is introduced, some aspect of crime will decrease and so will the number of prisoners.  Mark my word. Bring back flogging.

Veronica Blake Carnegie.