Jamaica

Jamaicans are extremely passionate about social and political issues and, in the most populous areas these passions can sometimes find destructive outlets. A majority of the violent crimes that occurin Jamaica's metropolitan areas, especially Kingston, is associated with gangs and politics. Impromptu demonstrations have been known to occur and can block roads and interrupt daily business.Sometimes these protests can escalate into riots or shootings and, as a result, curfews and police searches are occasionally conducted in some inner-city neighborhoods.

Jamaica suffers from manyeconomic and political problems. First, the politicians are very corrupt. Many of them have gang ties, and for example, on Election Day, many armed gang members will be present at the polls intimidatingpeople to vote for their party.6 Another political problem is the presence of multiple anti-government groups. The best known is the Rastafarians, groups like those refuse to participate or recognizegovernment and their laws. Even if the politicians were honest, they would have a hard time trying to get these multiple groups to cooperate. Another political problem, similar to that of the politicians,is the corruption of the police force. Many of them are also gang affiliated or are paid off by the gangs to turn a blind eye to many crimes.

Crime is a serious problem in Jamaica, particularly inKingston. Jamaica's murder rate has long been among the world's highest, lagging only behind South Africa and Brazil according to current U.N. estimates.9 While rising crime rates were used tojustify the Gun Court Act of 1974 and a variety of other restrictive laws, crime today is skyrocketing out of control.

The goal of the Gun Court Act was intended to "take guns off the streets, out of thehands of criminals, and to lock up and keep gunmen away from decent society."10 Instead it has accomplished exactly the opposite, outlawing private ownership of guns and ammunition by Jamaica's...