‘Too much youths a dead’
Eight funerals in six months pushes Fletcher’s Land residents to seek peace
YOUNGSTERS FROM the area known as ‘Diplomats’ Corner’ in the west Kingston community of Fletcher’s Land say they have grown tired of attending the funerals of their loved ones, citing this as the main reason that they have tried to keep peace in the community.
“History create around here. Trust me. Couple years back, we had about eight funerals in six months – all of them my friends,” said Junior, a confessed shotta, during a Gleaner-RISE Life On the Corner forum put on in the community last Thursday.
“One of the time, me cry. Me have to wonder if a so my friend dem going to come and drink at my funeral, too. That’s how I really see that things have to change. Too much youths a dead,” continued Junior, who reeled out name after name of friends killed from the area.
Many of the youngsters, he said, were teenagers.
For the past year, however, a rivalry, which has wiped out dozens of youngsters from differing factions in the community, has seen a lull in activity. The roadways are no longer blocked with debris to keep out trespassers, and residents are preparing for a festive Christmas.
Still, the tension stands. Every passing motor car is met with probing stares, and black fabric on light posts and a mural dedicated to those who have died are graphic reminders of the bloodshed of years ago.
“The mother dem bawl twice. Dem bawl for dem belly pain, and dem bawl because they don’t have the money to bury their children. And the community bawl because when crime go on, nothing can happen,” added elder Carlton Powell, who remembers a time when “one funeral would come and meet another one”.
“The youth dem in the community see that it really don’t make any sense. All we are seeing is just youths a dead, our friends a dead. So that is why right now, you don’t see a whole heap a things a go on,” continued Junior to nods of approval from other participants.
The residents said that with the violence at a lull, they would like to see more private-sector and non-government agencies visit the community and assist with social-intervention activities.
IN SOME communities in Jamaica, the term ‘don’ is one to be feared, revered, and respected.
But on Diplomats’ Corner in Fletcher’s Land, a community in Kingston western, it’s a title and stain no one wants because according to residents, they become targets of the police and their days are numbered.
When a Gleaner news team went On the Corner in Fletcher’s Land last week, Jermaine Williams said that communities like his need a strong individual who commands the respect of the ‘corner’ to get things done.
“Ghetto people need fisocialise. Whether through football, round robin, dances, youth clubs, people need something to occupy their time. So what you find is that people support one another through likkle round robin and dances. But is four years now we cyan do anything because of violence, ”he said.
Gang warfare and reprisals for deaths and shootings leave residents in communities like his prisoners of the dusk and darkness. In fact, “no time is safe, when you have ongoing gang war,” he explained.
But with men bearing grudges, and the threat of violence always lurking, it takes someone with organising skills and the ability to ‘hol a vibes and reason’ with the warring parties.
Jermaine does not want to be caught dead doing that.
“Look, you don’t see that Government a get police fi lock up all bad man? And who nuh lock up, dead. All dem things I tell you about need someone to kind a put it together. When I take it up on my head and try to go talk to police, talk to other man dem and get dem together, police and people start call you don. Once them start call you dat, you days are numbered. Memba, mi tell yuh,” he said.
Once you are seen as the don, he explained, your first enemy is the police. He said that many persons have been labelled dons just because they take things in hand, becoming the contact person for different corners and outside agencies in an effort to seek help for the community.
“Don a nuh good supp’m ... . Because of the label, many people ‘fraid of even doing things to organise little socials and stuff for the community,” he said.
“I will do my little best to uplift my community, my corner, but I am not a don and don’t want nobody to call me suh.”