Originally posted by Karl
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I quote for you:
"So it caused a lot of concern inside there, and we were told don't worry about it - it's unconstitutional, it abrogates every human right that there is, but there's a crisis, so let's go for it. It was very popular."
Do you understand the gravity of such an action. To abrogate EVERY HUMAN RIGHT THAT THERE IS!! Do you understand that when you harp on about upward mobility it sounds foolish when measured against the weight of such legislative action. Simply put, your feelings about the PNP are wrong! You were lied to, fooled and the stated objectives of the PNP were fraud.
I quote again to evidence this point:
"We were told things like we would have programmes for the youth and I could relate a number of other things which I won't go into because the time doesn't allow - but that there would be balance. It is not that we did not know that it was not right. That was known.
"We were told things like......." in other words we were appeased with various worthless lies, because they knew it was wrong, but sought to fool the weak minded with lies.
And all this was done to preserve the status quo. The most brutish piece of legislation in Jamaica's history, since legislation was enacted to legalize slavery, was rushed through the parliament to preserve the status and well being of the privileged few.
I quote again:
"But the thing started rising when two middle-class people got shot........the government responded, and now I want to make it very clear what I'm speaking about. The State responded, led by the government, with two legislations - The Gun Court Act and the Suppression of Crime Act."
As to your inaccurate supposition that the JLP was responsible for garrison politics, even if it were true (which it is not!), here is what D.K., a member of your government integrally involved in the framing of policies at the time had to say about it:
"It's one thing, for little groups out there - civil society groups, political groups - to be fighting one another, which is not good. But when the State institutionalizes repression and terrorism, it's another thing." In other words, it is worse, far worse. That pours cold water on your claim that, how did you put it, "The greatest threat to our country was the introduction of the GARRISON and its GUN CRIMES!" So put that in YOUR pipe and smoke it!
You are mouthing unverifiable myths and passing them off as fact when a Minister in the government of the day tells you from a public podium that the state "institutionalized repression and terrorism". That is not a myth or a feeling, that is a minister of government telling you verifiable government policy. And those terrible policies and brutish callous laws I believe were more inimical to the pride and spirit of the people of this nation since the laws that obtained during slavery.

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