Dennie Quill, Contributor

Most people will agree that Jamaica is experiencing one of the most violent periods in its history since Independence. From Negril to Morant Point families are hurting because innocent lives are being cut short mostly by criminals. The most recent jolt occurred when a young couple armed with crutches to aid an accident victim were abducted, slaughtered and discarded like animals.

Then there was the report of a St. Mary mother who found her teenager murdered in her home with a broom stick inserted into her vagina. And every day, we steel ourselves for more bizarre happenings. Crime has no doubt had a lasting effect on the national psyche, so there is less and less outrage and public indignation.

Coupled with the murder epidemic are lurid reports of corruption in high places. What saddens me is that people are prepared to justify these happenings. For example, I overheard a group of young people discussing the fact that a returning resident in St. Catherine had been robbed and burnt to death in her home. One of the women offered to her colleagues: "A mean she mean, man, nah let off nuttin." Such malicious nonsense, I thought to myself. How could one be so callous when talking about a horrific murder? In other words, this young woman was saying it was reasonable for someone to kill a woman who according to reports toiled for many years in Britain's punishing weather so she could build a retirement home in the land of her birth.

Morals mixed up

In the same breath, there are others who dismiss the imminent probe into the $31-million Trafigura gift to the former PNP government and the handling of the Cuban light-bulb programme as a witch-hunting expedition. "Ah nuh nutten dat," is the common phrase I hear from many people these days. I keep wondering when did we go off track, how did we get our morals so mixed up? We have abandoned our cherished principles of honesty and morality in all facets of life and the moral collapse of the nation seems imminent.

The 19th-century German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche observed that "morality is the best of all devices for leading mankind by the nose". I dare suggest that moral laxity in the population is one of the greatest dilemmas this Bruce Golding administration faces. It makes a farce of democracy if the state cannot protect its people from criminality and injustice. It is this moral degradation that renders the police ineffective at solving crime and shaking off the image of us being the murder capital of the world. We offer a complex mix of explanations why the grip of crime continues to tighten - corruption, paucity of resources, poor leadership, poor pay and working conditions all share the blame. We excuse police corruption by saying the police are poorly rewarded for their hard work. But compare the policeman of today with his counterpart of years gone by and you will find that today's policeman is must better off, owning a home, a car, and acquiring a better education.

I submit that all persons who cherish democracy should be concerned about our mixed-up morals and think of how we can lift ourselves to a higher ethical ground by questioning what is acceptable and what is not.

Many adults have to be blamed for influencing our youth in their morally debilitating ways. We can clearly see when young people start to veer from the right path, yet many of us refuse to counsel or correct them.

Covering up for criminals

Community dons who terrorise young woman with their savagery did not become that way overnight. But the young ones watched how the adults maintained their power in the community by a combination of intimidation, patronage and violence and they follow the script. When people in communities cover up for criminals and are prepared to demonstrate on their behalf, it becomes very difficult to police let alone govern a country.

We need to urgently examine ourselves, our business practices and the way we conduct ourselves to determine if we are contributing to the rise in corruption. We pay an enormous price in loss of moral standing.