lostinparadise

This past week area residents had to deal with loss in varying degrees. Some were
victims of crime; burglary, breaking and entering and trespassing. Some lost their freedom for
a while; soon to be serving jail terms. A young man lost his life, while a mother lost her son,
though some might argue that he was lost long ago. And, we all lost another measure of
innocence, here on our tropical rock.
Having your home entered by someone intent on taking your stuff and then discovering that
stuff gone, leaves you with a tossed salad of emotions ranging from anger and sadness to an
almost unexplainable feeling of violation, as rape victims must feel. To have somebody’s
grubby mitts pawing through your underwear drawer is an intensely personal thing. When that
person isn’t your husband hiding Victoria’s Secrets, it’s a slap in the face.
Just after Christmas, before their novelty wears off, it’s a safe bet that expensive electronic
devices, like iPods, cameras and laptop computers are lying around in plain sight. These
things are the booty of choice of the modern day thief. They are easy to conceal, lightweight
and readily fenced. A young friend of mine lost her new Mac PowerBook on her third day in
her new island home. How do you explain to this person that this is a welcoming place, full of
loving, giving people?
I moved to St. Croix, thirty-five years ago, in the aftermath of Fountain Valley. That was a time
when socio-economic tensions, fueled by the Black Radicalism of the early ‘70s, created a
great divide that started the steady downturn of that island’s viability. To many, it was OK to
take what wasn’t yours, because the balance of wealth was perceived as so unfair. A very
smart guy told me, “Wherever you have pockets of affluence amid widespread poverty, you’ll
get this.” This was the age of The Harder They Come, Jimmy Cliff’s cult classic movie about
crime and money in Jamaica. How little things have changed.
It seems a gang from St. Thomas committed this latest rash of burglaries. Whatever the
details are, the crux of the issue revolves around the seemingly hopeless future vision of our
territory’s youth. That should come as no surprise. Our schools are in deplorable condition,
job-training programs are nonexistent, the population is becoming increasingly lopsided vis-à-
vis the haves and have-nots and the picking’s are irresistibly ripe.
Last week’s terrible events came on the birthday of a new administration and that poses a
unique and positive atmosphere for change. Governor DeJongh can aggressively press for
social programs that increase opportunities for island youth. He can radically increase school
budgets. He can further support after-school activities, mentoring programs and day-care. He
can give the police more tools to combat crime.
Or, he can ignore the problem, like previous administrations and let security guard
companies, gated communities and alarm installers fill the void.

- Jeff Smith