After deliberating for just under two hours, the 11 member jury returned its verdict. The three men and eight women found Adijah Palmer, and three of his four co-accused, guilty of the murder of Clive “Lizard” Williams. The verdict has put to rest a legal drama that began in 2011, one which fascinated and mystified the nation, but there were more sinister undercurrents at play here. As much as my own conscience tells me justice has been done, and as much as I would rather not see any selfless heroism in a convicted murderer; I am unable to shake the feeling that in the end Vybz Kartel was able to serve as a living testament, a sacrificial lamb of sorts, for many of the realities dancehall music has explored over the years. Kartel’s arrest, trial and conviction put the very state on trial, and on nearly all counts, Jamaica was found guilty. Many of Jamaica’s chronic problems, particularly our structural and socio-economic challenges, were forcefully brought to bear over the 65 days that Kartel stood on trial. In many ways the proverbial mirror was held to our collective faces and we were invited to confront a society in ruins, and a country dangerously close to failed state status. The massive throng of “Gazaites” that descended on the Supreme Court, in the middle of the work week, was more than just a base of support for the embattled entertainer. Rather, it was the harsh reflection of a country struggling with a massive unemployment crisis. Those fans were symptomatic of the 15% of the population who have such precious little to do that banding together as a chorus with shouts of “Free Kartel” and “No Teacha, No School” was a legitimate use of their time and productive energies. As the security forces struggled to restrain the maraudering masses, the imagery was striking. We were witnessing the state and its agents struggle, and in one instance, fail to control runaway unemployment; and even worse, the anxieties and frustrations that necessarily come with it. Kartel, of course, had highlighted this reality; for him, it was an emergency. He saw suffering and earnestly questioned the nation’s leaders for answers and solutions on behalf of his constituents, on behalf of his loyal fans. How ironic, then, that his trial should put on display, for all the world to see, the real emergency Jamaica faces where unemployment is concerned. On count one, Jamaica was found guilty of negligence and economic instability.
Posted on: Sat, 15 Mar 2014 20:02:41 +0000
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