1st July 2016
It is most appropriate that I write about this on this day. The International Reggae Day!
Two people lost their life at an afterhours jam last night. The babylon report said 5:10am. One of them is a well known, well loved individual within our community the other I don’t know, a third is still in critical condition and a fourth got treated at St. Mike’s they say.
The negative stigma of the gun gets easily pinned on reggae music once again. And it wasn’t even at a reggae jam. But it was black people so it is all the same...right?
What is the issue with the ‘gun dummies’? Why aren’t they aware of their role as the dregs of the colonial system? We have the police keeping us in line worldwide with their barbarism against the black race then we have the ‘gun dummies’ within our culture, who do the bidding of the colonial master and kill fellow black people. I ovastand that they have no real education and the elders can’t reach them as we have no ‘bling bling’ (expensive cars, jewellery, Jordan’s) that will catch their eye, because without that, they respect no one. The gun culture rules!
Elders like me are such people. All I do is write a bag a shit and nah help nobody! Just pontificate a bag a hype. What can I say? I feel helpless too. I want the shit to stop but do not have the words or the power to reach anyone. But mi a go keep writing cause some people still read and maybe I can inspire the person who can reach these youths. I am way too angry and condescending to have the right words to speak.
What I know of many of these youths who go to bed every night with one eye open and their right hand on their gun; their life is HELL! No, I man nah beg nuh sympathy, I am pointing out the life. No one wants to live in hell! Know any and every day can or will end violently. Any and every day could be your day. I don’t know of any human who could endure such a thing. But when you live in hell, you have no choice. Ride or die! Becomes ride ‘and’ die eventually.
The term ‘gun dummies’ point to the lack of education of the gun carrier. Some say “it’s just the life.” Most of us grow up with the term, “live by the gun, die by the gun.” And no statement could be more accurate in this world. What our youth are so unaware of today that isn’t discussed like we used to, is the grasp of the colonial system’s hold of the course of their lives. The futility that many feel that “this is the only life I know” or “once you’re in you can’t get out” is all a part of this cause and effect situation. I know this violence. I lived through 1970 – 1976 in Kingston, Jamaica, living through that ‘fear’ night and day, every day for that entire time. That hell is / was created by the babylonian and our children, black children in North America, are placed at the bottom of that babylonian, colonial chain. That is still as real today as it was in 1970. The fox continues to scatter the chickens and we spend so much time running for our lives we don’t stop to educate our youth about this killing game. Saying the system does not care about black life is a gross understatement yet even within said system I realize that one can stop running. One can take the time to reach out to the ignorant about the gun life and work on educational as well as fiscal alternatives for those with ‘criminal’ records. Certainly not a quick fix to this issue, yet a necessary move to elevate future generations, which is what Marcus Mosiah was speaking loudly about in 1930.
We (I) sit back thinking that “it is their problem” or “that’s just their life” but no one wants that life.
As a youth, many of my RasTafari elders were the moral and spiritual gatekeepers to Jamaica’s bad bwoys as we were ‘outcasts’ like the gun man so RasTafari did aid to quell some of the violence and reach the youth. In the United States, The Black Panther movement gave a certain pride to young black males and in the community where the Panthers were, the violence was limited to non-existent. Babylon had to quash the Panthers and they did so very effectively! The Nation Of Islam today help many of the black youth to do something besides fight with the law and the ‘law makers’ in the U.S. are well aware to keep their violence away from the NOI and many of those black males and females are at much less risk than a Trayvon Martin per se. Babylon do not fuck with Black Muslims. You ever wonder why? I’ll tell you why...they defend themselves! The Nation is educated and strong and babylon is now aware that assignation of Rev. Louis Farrakahn won’t change the course of their future because they have dug in deep roots and that tree cannot be shaken any more. And there is no gun violence in their culture. The portrayal of the Reverend as “America’s most dangerous man” is about a man who gives actual pride to black people. There is zero gun violence in the Nation Of Islam outside of the obvious with Malcolm and that is yet to be proven based on suspect babylonian interference.
No, I’m certainly not suggesting that we all join the NOI yet we do need some kind of organized leadership to elevate some of today’s black youth.
Not sure what we have here in Canada, but something does need to change. There has to be a reaching back to the gun community by the elders and the educators. The gun culture has to stop winning. I know, we live in fear of the colonial master through the use of their police force so most everyone toes the line and we also fear the repercussions from our own shottas when we speak openly about them as ‘gun dummies’. Like I said I am certainly not that person but I do feel that airing the issue may lead to something! Anything!
Reggae music does NOT breed violence! Black people are not any more or less violent than any other race in humanity!
If there are any other folks out there who feel like I do, I am all ears as to a working solution to this colonially built issue. They have us so focussed on the gun that we actually miss the solution within ourselves. The gun is not the problem. I am the problem because I know the truth but I’m not strong enough or possibly not brave enough to sacrifice myself to tackle the problem here in Canada.
I heard recently that someone labelled me a “Black Supremist” which of course made me beam with pride because it is the same thing that they called Garvey, Farrakahn, X and other notable people including Muhammed Ali. I’m not aware of a more peaceful soul than Ali yet he also wore that moniker. No I am not comparing myself to Ali yet his example is one that has always impressed me. He was such a brave, humble, wise soul.
The issue again is ‘humanity’.
I’m not a group joiner or a group organizer, even though I recognize the effectiveness of Garvey or the Black Panthers or The Nation...sometimes this invariably gets lost in ideology, corruption or bureaucracy yet anything would be better than the gun violence in our children.
I don’t know what to do but I would really like to stop burying many of our most talented souls already lost and those to come. I’d like to give hope to the hopeless along with ambition, dreams and goals.
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