Life in a garrison community - what's it really like?

[nuhsenutten]

those things happened in ja......a di first me a hear this...

[Izemi-Clem]

Hail

Justice

I'm sure for anyone living outside of Ja. your breakdown still doesn't give the enitre picture.

A Garrison Community refers to a community usually found in the inner-city which provides a political advantage to a particular political party. It's residents vote en bloc, and they dare not go against the status quo or else the "swift justice" as referred to by Justice will apply.

Some of these began as squatter communities, encouraged by politicians to give their party a voter advantage at the polls which will ensure representation in government.
In existing communities, enforcers called "dons" or "top rankings" which are basically terms for gangsters are used by politicians to strong arm residents into party loyalty, these gangsters are seen as area leaders and are placed in charge of distributing whatever "scarce benefits" among the community and are seen as a law unto themselves, they usually maintain their position with an army of loyal armed "tugs" recruited from young unemployed men, for some it is a rite of passage.
A don's job is by no means easy as there may be constant challenge to his authority by other rankings vying for the coveted title.

Ironically most of these Garrisons are located nearby or next to opposing Garrisons and during elections each tires to intimidate the other against voting, political and tribal warfare is heighten at this period and no side is blameless as many atrocities and murders are committed during this period.

The nature of the Garrison Community has changed over the years but its purpose and function remains the same, now it seems the battles are more tribal as fractions within the Garrison fight for control over the drug trade and turf and whatever else.

For those who live outside these communities it is hard to really overstand what life is really like on a day to day basis in these communties. These Garrisons are seen as a hinderance to our development as a country and it is felt that they are perpetually kept in this state by politicians whose only interests are to maintain political power.

I hope I got as close to what is really is, but I'm sure others CY member will be able to brerak it down further.

Izemi-Clem

[Izemi-Clem]

Hail

BM

I think Jones Town and Waco (we aint coming out) are a bit different, not all resident are there by choice as they do not have economic means to live elsewhere.

The stories you hear coming from these communites seem larger than life in some respect and its hard to believe for those living outside, but they tend it be more entertaining than watching the movies.
At high school we had friends who lived in these communites (sometimes opposing sides) who would tell their stories to a rapt audiences, some were themselves invovled in patrols which gaurded these communties and were given guns by the "dons" to control di ends, if they were to beileved.

But isn't hard to see how these notorious figures were idolized and romanitcized by those living in these communities as it gave them some sense of belonging and our friends at school used it to their fullest advantage over these rest of us "simpletons" and "uptown bwoys" who seemed too niave and too sheltered as to the goings ons in these places.

To gain any respect as school, you had to first gain the respect of these figures (worse if you were into sports or a known gal-ist) who infected the school with their gangster mentality which somehow (very oddly) fed school pride as we knew we could go anywhere and not be messed with , we were all one and the same as long as were were in school colours.

Izemi-Clem

[Bahama Mama]

Thankyou for the thorough explanation Izemi. I know have a better understanding of these communities which are quite foreign to me.

[Bahama Mama]

DNA......you're funny.

Street justice does not involve such things.

Then street justice isnt justice at all, it is vigilantism often fueled by irrational thinking, bias, and prejudice. Street justice is a sure sign of pending societal anarchy.

[nuhsenutten]

Then street justice isnt justice at all, it is vigilantism often fueled by irrational thinking, bias, and prejudice. Street justice is a sure sign of pending societal anarchy.

there u nailed it ......thats exactly what it is

[Izemi-Clem]

Hail
NSN, BM

I'm sure some might disagree, vigilantism would suggest impulsive, unorganised and unaurthorized behaviour, which is the irony, the community doesn't see it as such. The "don's" provide the authority and maintain the order, it is seen as their right and function to hold the peace and distribute the justice as they are the protectors of the community.

A don cannot last for long if anarchy is allowed to exist in his community, this a clear sign of his weakness, if so called order and peace is maintain and "justice" is seemed to be upheld, it is seen as a testement to his leadership.
This occurs because people in the inner-cities don't seem to think they will get a fair shake in the established courts as it is considered that the established system is biased towards them.

Izemi-Clem

[Gillion]

Then street justice isnt justice at all, it is vigilantism often fueled by irrational thinking, bias, and prejudice. Street justice is a sure sign of pending societal anarchy.

You are wrong my dear.

Justice is whatever the people in a particular society decide and have deemed it a fit addressing for any crime.

Justice is a thing that must not only be done, but must be seen to be done (don't remember where I learnt that).

Chance are the people in the Garrison would be most "satisfied" with the results of this beating the rapist got.

The culture of the garrison is HARD ! and outsiders will always have a "problem" with it.

Remember you are outside of the garrison, and you will see these things as NOT JUSTICE, but that is because you are not a member of that society... and remember a garrison is an alternate "society" within Jamiaca.

[bernie]

so am i to believe that Garrisons are hereby justified?

[nester-san]

so am i to believe that Garrisons are hereby justified?

No, what he is saying is simply that they believe that particular punishment was suffiecient for the crime, so justice was served in their opinions.

I heard two guys on the bus, talking about Zeke's birdcage ( A huge cage they put people inside, like the middle ages pillory or stocks)

The guy was telling his friend that he and another guy wer downtown late at night, drunk as hell, and were staggeringa bout singing and carousing. A group of boys saw them and started to tease them. They got mad and thre stones or started beating the boys and the noise brought out people from all bout the place. The narrator said he took off like a bandit and his friend was swallowed by the mob.

He said the following week he was back downtown and saw his friend all covered in bruises and little nicks, and he asked him what happened. The friend said he was taken before Zekes and told of the drunkeness and the beating of the boys, and he was sentenced to overnight in the cage. So he was stuffed in, and the cage scratched up his skin, and the people laughed and threw stuff at him.

I thought the guy was chatting $#%#, till next day, on my way to get a buds downtown, I heard two other guys talking about this guy who died in the cage as a result of beatings, and cuts inflicted on him by crowd.

I have asked around, and lots of downtown people know about it.