The Tribune

By IAN BETHEL BENNETT

Perhaps we have seen too many films or read or watched too much anime, but society has begun to take on a cinematographic approach to life. The last few weeks have shown a heightened sense of violence and sexual misconduct. I make reference here to, among other things, the young man who was charged with raping a number of women and the recent demise of a man at the hands of a woman. The murder was obviously based on a relationship gone wrong. As much as it underscored a serious problem with gender-based violence, it highlighted a more serious depraved indifference to life and humanity.

Life is worth less than a role in the hay. The other cultural saying for this would be when you lie down with dogs . . . What we are reaping, though, is a serious or complete dysfunction of a social order. This disorder, is beyond the sexual power imbalances or gender inequalities that I discussed last week; it also goes beyond the problems of power and control as displayed in Michel Foucault’s work to demonstrate a far more gut-wrenching and soul destroying reality that has been cultivated by our society for years now: the death of the value of life.

I use a Brazilian novel (1997) and film from 2002 to illustrate how savage this moral, Christian country has become. Cidade de Deus, Fernando Meirelles’ 2002 film of life in Rio de Janiero is horrific, but I think nothing better describes the soulless and hardened deprivation of Funky Nassau 2013 than this film. Of late, all this depravity and the cries that these are the last days have gotten us to raise our heads from our slumber or at least to open an eye. As news reports stated, the young man who had been charged with serial rape appeared in court with his grandmother and his pastor. It seemed like an attempt to humanise, but it showed how absolutely deprived of understanding and function our society has become.

The community sold the idea that he was a good and decent youth. Where did he go wrong? Where did we go wrong with him? This questioning is somewhat wrong, however. It does not address the real problem: society has become the soulless monster that encourages us to murder for nothing and exact painful vengeance for a minor infraction.

This is perhaps best illustrated by the country’s recent scandal of a murder. The fact that it was a murder was dulled because they happen so often, yet we were awoken more because it happened to a public figure. Facebook was buzzing. Twitter was on fire and everyone had a different story or version of the same story. BP was full of it. Everyone was consumed by the tragedy that was not only a tragedy for those involved but, honestly, a calamity for the entire country.

Both cases speak volumes of the calloused inhumanity that riddles this place. Similar to Cidade de Deus, that shows how cheap life is, when people are pushed into the margins, they react, these two events are indictments of our culture. How easy it is to kill someone.

Notwithstanding society’s construct of gendered behaviour, and what might be befitting of femininity, women can kill. Of late, it has apparently become clear that women are as cold as men. They can be as ruthless as men. Behaviour that was arguably reserved for men has become typical of young women. Gone is the discourse of violence being male.

In San Juan in the 2000s a woman hired a young fellow, with whom there is speculation she was sexually involved, to kill her wealthy husband. As in Cidade de Deus, her case spoke to a cold hearted snake, to use Paula Abdul’s lyrics. A poor girl contracts a barrio guy to ‘off’ wealthy businessman. The saga repeats across time and space.

For years the Bahamas has steadfastly declared that it is not Jamaica. Such crimes are reserved for the yardies in Jamaica. No such incivility would ever occur here. This country has stepped into the limelight. While it has created a steadfast dialogue of unfailing Christianity and unwavering Christian morality, we kill people with whom we have had a sexual encounter. Whatever the reality, it speaks to some serious power imbalances as well as to an egregious situation with internalised and normalised violence that has operated here since slavery.

If we read Thomas or Sives on violence in Jamaica we will see the Bahamas, only the violence so far has been removed from the realm of party politics and elections. Cidade de Deus provides an excellent window through which to examine the Bahamas today.

We have no one to blame but ourselves. We can now choose to call out the police, but the horse has bolted. Perhaps getting the vapours will be more effective. The kiss has already been delivered: we have laid down with dogs and are waking up with more than flees.

• Dr. Ian Bethell-Bennett, Associate Professor in the School of English Studies at the College of the Bahamas, has written extensively on race and migration in the Bahamas, cultural creolisation and gender issues. Direct questions and comments to iabethellbennett@yahoo.co.uk.