Monday, March 27, 2023

If you would ask a hundred people from all across our country which is a greater scourge upon the lives of our citizens – poverty or crime, chances are good that a majority would say crime is, violent crime in particular. The trouble is, these two often seem to go together, although there are many poor people who do not resort to crime. And then there are white-collar criminals who seldom get caught, and thus are not seen in the news, like the blue-collar criminals – drug dealers, robbers, burglars, thieves, rapists and murderers, etc. But the crime that most people are exceedingly wary of is murder, because it creates the most pain and heartbreak in families of the victims, and it makes living more dangerous and stressful for everyone. White-collar criminals are seldom associated with pulling triggers and killing people, though their nefarious deeds often result in great losses to the public treasury through “tax evasion, false declarations, defrauding customs duties, etc…” as The Mighty Sparrow sang in “Good Citizens.” They are therefore indirectly responsible for a lot of poverty; and it is that poverty that is visibly associated with a culture of crime.

There is perhaps no better example of extreme poverty leading to escalating crime, than in the case of our Caribbean sister nation, Haiti, where the situation has reportedly descended into a complete collapse of the government, where the police force is practically impotent, and where competing gangs rule the streets with violence, and there are daily incidents of deaths by gunshots and rampant reports of kidnapping for ransom. A March 26 report from vox.news.com states, “Gang violence has killed more than 530 Haitians this year and 187 in the past two weeks alone.”  Many Haitians therefore, in fear for their lives, are trying to leave the country.

But, while there is the temptation of some to blame the great Haitian people for their terrible situation, casting aspersions on their religion or cultural practices, the bottom line is that any country, our Belize included, that suffers consistently from the level of extreme poverty that Haiti has been forced to endure due to historical and international pressure and abuse from foreign exploiters, could also sink into the abyss. Poverty breeds misery, and extreme poverty is a good breeding ground for crime, as desperate people will do desperate things.

In Belize, thankfully, we are not there yet; but we do still have a serious crime problem. The number of murders, over a hundred each year, in a nation of not much more than 400,000, is unacceptable. And the continued deployment of more police boots on the ground over the past three decades, ever since the proliferation of gangs with the advent of crack cocaine and the escalating transshipment of cocaine and marijuana through our territory on the way north to the American market, has not made a big impact.

None of us has all the answers, but it is hard to argue with the government’s announced new approach to try and bring crime, especially murders, under control. The “multi-sectoral approach”, including the efforts of the Leadership Intervention Unit that targets the gang situation, seems to be an enlightened strategy to engage all our citizens in tackling this problem which affects everyone. Our government seems to be on the right track, with the countrywide first-time land-owners initiative as well as the move towards free education that also entails uniforms, schools supplies and food assistance to needy communities. It was remarked in the last House meeting that, while it costs an estimated $1,000 annually to keep a child in school, taxpayers are burdened with $5,000 to keep a young man in jail for the same period.

We’re going in the right direction, but it is to be hoped that our limited resources don’t cause a quick scaling back of the program, as there are also still some serious good governance shortcomings, highlighted by Opposition members in the House – with increased funding being needed for critical areas like the offices of the Auditor General, the Contractor General, the Financial Intelligence Unit, the Ombudsman, the Integrity Commission, the Director of Public Prosecution. Without proper funding, these offices are ineffective and are bound to underperform.

Women’s “month” from March to March

But, even in conditions of poverty, which often become the breeding ground for crime and criminals, there are many women who somehow maintain their strength and their values to “bring up” their children, even as single mothers, and provide the nation with honest, hardworking and respectful young men and women to become the backbone of our nation. These women, as exemplified in the March features in the Friday issues of the Amandala for Women’s Month, are the national treasure that keeps the love and respect flowing in the Jewel we call Belize. Amazingly, some women, even without much formal education themselves, have displayed the foundational pride and principles under great hardship to still push their children along the “straight and narrow” path and to avoid the tempting snares of the glitter from dangerous easy cash that the gang life offers them.

Unfortunately, not all our women have been strong enough to withstand the pressure of raising children, especially boys, in very tough economic conditions. It is those ones who become overwhelmed by their sons’ adventurous youth, who often end up in tears when their sons’ lives in the fast lane are suddenly extinguished “for no apparent reason.”

Before it reaches that point of no return, our women need help, even when their male partners are not doing their share, or have moved on. There needs to be a national resolve, a new paradigm, or a reawakening of our old-time appreciation and high value for the super-special role of women in the life and survival of our nation. Even when the man fails, a woman who can fulfill her role as mother, can singularly uplift the nation against all odds.

Let’s not stop in March, but make it our national mantra to treat our women as the national treasure that they are. The homemaker is paramount. Despite the national burden from the cruel U.S. imposed embargo, our sister Caribbean country Cuba has placed such great value on the home, the family and the woman homemaker, that every married couple is provided with housing, so that their meager resources are not stretched by paying rent.

We say we have a Women’s Department. That is fine. And we have a Breast is Best program. Super! Now, let us go to another level. Why not declare that every woman with child, or in a child-rearing/caring situation is a national treasure and top priority. And let us put our money where we say it is important. Let us in Belize create a national fund (from the taxes on Boledo, Lotto, etc.? and other donors) with a special target for assistance to situations of need whereby every mother/child rearer in the nation can provide adequate nutrition and care for their growing children. A well-funded team of counselors and health professionals should make weekly or monthly visits to every dwelling where children are being cared for, and where necessary provide the help in advice and food support so the woman can be strengthened in her nation-building task to see her young boys safely through to upright manhood.

The nation’s success rests on our women every month, from March to March. Belizean woman, you are the greatest!