Spirit of selfishness spreading across the island -Police commissioner Loop Jamaica

Black Immigrant Daily News

Police Commissioner, Major General Antony Anderson says the many discussions taking place regarding individual rights across the country, though well intended, it is triggering a spirit of selfishness and also affecting how well citizens of the country come together to tackle many of the ills in society.

The commissioner said on a daily basis even members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) can be seen placing their lives on the line, focusing more on the collective, for people, who they don’t even know, all because of the decision that they made that their own personal safety is not as important as that of the community.

The commissioner said unfortunately this sort of approach was not widespread among many citizens, who were more focused on themselves than the collective.

“There are a lot of discussions now about rights or individual rights that well-intentioned as they are, they have driven us somewhat into an idea of selfishness, because by its very definition, ‘individual’ and ‘mine’ – those are words that are associated with a particular approach to things,” declared Anderson.

He was speaking at the National Neighbourhood Watch Church service held at the Andrew’s Memorial Church Service on Saturday.

According to Anderson, the police can be seen leading by example, sacrificing their own individual rights, and have instead focused on the rights of others by serving in various communities.

However, he said with the focus now on individuality in society, has created a “spirit of selfishness”.

“When we start to talk about a collective, and we start to talk about our responsibility, largely that focus is outwards, and our responsibilities are for others.

“… And I think that well-intentioned discussion sometimes leads to people doing selfish acts. I need to make a living so I have to inconvenience everybody to make that living, and you see it reflected in many ways in the society because it is my right to make a living, never mind what responsibility comes with that right,” the commissioner explained.

He said that many people do not stop to assess the responsibilities that come with the right of making a living.

He said members of the Neighborhood Watch movement have made similar steps to focus on their responsibility to others rather than themselves.

The commissioner said young people must take a similar stance and “focus more on what you can do for others, and what needs to be done for you will be taken care of.”.

“It’s a different approach, but it’s an approach that will take care of most of these interpersonal issues,” said the commissioner.

“They (young persons) largely reach where they want to reach because of selfishness. That’s at the… route of it, and this idea that they have a right to something could be deadly… over their responsibility to the wider community,” Anderson argued.

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