Apostrophes and commas to what should have been a full-stop
Rhyesa Joseph
Political Analyst | Sociological Researcher | Cultural Advocate & Communicator
Death is an inevitable part of the human journey. And yet, it is quite sinister when it is the result of senselessness and a seemingly unquenchable cycle of gun violence and murder.
Perhaps, some deaths hurt a bit more and echo a longer chorus of sighs and outrage when the victims are well known, have lived longer lives, and possess jobs or histories that are prolific.
Yet, the murder of Ricardo Wilson also known as "Go Fast" tells a different story. A young man, who lived a simple, special and unassuming life. He was a former student of the Vieux-Fort Special Education Centre. He did odd jobs for others and was commonly seen wearing a jovial smile. As much as anyone can recall, he lived an easygoing life, not one known to be connected with any shady or untoward behaviour.
Ricardo was murdered on April 8, 2024. He was buried on May 17, 2024. He was 24 years old.
To live is a basic human right. But for far too many it is a right lost to unsuspecting assassins who claim the innocent, hope and people who make a town livable.
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The danger of violence isn't that it simply creates carnage but that it also engenders a lack of consciousness, and numbness and leaves a community in a comatose state.
Within a year a classroom filled with people was killed within the same geographic space. And still, there is no strategy to fully appreciate what has and continues to happen, nor to plan for the long journey that is necessary for justice, reconciliation and peace.
The solution cannot be simply policed. It must be a commitment of state and community. It must be a confrontation of what has been ignored, broken and expected to disappear or stop. It must be a challenge to the status quo of subversive gang power, where the state has failed and the gang and its coconspirators, " law-abiding" citizens and otherwise have taken their place.
There must be an end to pretence, that this is a normal and acceptable way of life that is confined to one town, in a plot of 238 sq miles.
For Ricardo's sake and those who came before him, we yearn for a full stop to the ongoing commas and apostrophes that run on.
We want to go with grace, with purpose, with dignity and if we are to go fast by natural causes, not by someone else's choice.
President, Africa Caribbean Heritage Alliance, ACHA Foundation Global President 2023-2024, Caribbean Studies Association Director & Chair of the Governance Committee, Youth Empowerment & Support Services
9 个月This is such a heart breaking story. Prayers for strength to the family, and community. Burying a youth is a difficult process to deal with especially when it occurs through senseless violence. Perhaps, a community dialogue session could be timely to hear the voicess of the people and the kind of peaceful process they seek. Let’s talk about this, Rhyesa, within the context of upcoming CSA48 annual conference theme. Sending sympathies.