Crime Occupies Too Much Thought

The euphoria is over, or close to it. And while our fraternity with Obama and the world made us feel good for a moment, we have to come back to earth now. More specifically, we have to come back to Jamaica’s own domestic situation. This abduction business is getting worrisome, as is crime in general. Concerned people are especially perturbed by the amount of children that are victims of what seems like a crime spree. We might be a bit heartened if the people responsible for going after the criminals seemed more competent and proactive. But their pronouncements of late have given us anything but comfort. The insidious thing about crime is that its impact is so intrusive. Even those who have not been touched by crime live with it constantly, in conversations and in the way it reorders our activities. So when I see a car parked outside my house, often to take advantage of the shade from the trees, I inquire of the driver his business there if too much time has passed. I’m also a bit more careful at night now when I drive in certain communities. Worse than anything, crime’s intrusiveness is patently evident in the time it is now resident in our consciousness. It occupies too much thought, stealing from us valuable time for better things in our lives.