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Friday, September 19, 2008

Armed, Dangerous, and Mad as Ever!!

Why are mad people allowed to roam this country armed and dangerous??

Picture with me: A mad man. Cushioned between two light-posts. So well-concealed that you can't see him until you're actually walking right by him. Uncomfortably close. Grinning. Leering at you in a sleazy, disconcerting way. With his dingdong out of his pants, in his hands, pointed at you: Eeeeeeeeeeeew!

That met me this morning on my way to school. I stepped off the curb, into the raod, and nearly got hit down by a passing car... All because of a madman showing off his nasty, big, black (and I mean black) dingdong. Yuck, yuck yuck!

There used to be this madman in St. Mary named Dudus. He would hide between the stalls in a lonely alleyway that we used as a short-cut to get to the bus park early in the mornings. He waited until girls were passing, then he would come at them, shaking his dingdong... Police knew about it. We constantly complained. But apart from an occasional beating from the men in the area, no-one did anything to get rid of him...

Why are mad-men allowed to roam this country armed and dangerous?

There's this madman called Cat on South Camp Road. Always has a machete in his hand, a knife in his waist, and an old bucket... Cat always laughs hysterically when I pass him. I complained to a security about it (begged him to follow me past that lunatic). He laughed. Cat wouldn't hurt me...

This madman named Scotty in St. Mary was like the Pied Piper for dirty, smelly dogs. He had a radio stuck in his crusty, thick locks. Scotty didn't really trouble anybody, but he always had this machete... I never felt comfortable...

Why are madmen allowed to roam this country armed and dangerous?

Gussie was another St. Mary madman. He always had a crocus bag over his shoulder. Always cussing imaginary people. Or real people. Depending on his mood, the weather... stuff you can never count on. He too totes the proverbial machete. And his is always sharpened and ready-for-use...

WHY ARE MAD PEOPLE ALLOWED TO ROAM THIS COUNTRY ARMED AND DANGEROUS??

15 comments:

ruthibel said...

The excuse that nothing bad has ever happened is no promise that nothing bad ever will...

Mighty Afroditee said...

You know, the madmen in Jamaica fascinate me, and the wonder is, after I decided not to look away in terror, they were always so...well endowed. There was one who used to circle the block where I lived, and for some unfathomable reason, he wore a jacket, shirt, tie, but no pants.

It is scary that they are armed thought, for if they are perceived as crazy, 'posed they decide to do harm?

Anonymous said...

LMAO Dingdong? What are you? Five?
The sudden up-close musta been scary tho, lol

Seriously, I always wonder what if too.

Nickie Nix said...

Yuh know whole heap ah mad man though. :)

Wuthering said...

wow that was a culture shock fo sure!

in America anyone armed with anything would be arrested. so, of course, instead the weapons would just be concealed. which might make citizens feel more safe. yet, unfortunately, there is always a mad man roaming around 'potentially' armed and 'potentially' dangerous.

yet, seriously, that is one whole HEAP of mad men! i hope you're feeling better now!

ruthibel said...

Unfortunately, that is not even a half of the actual repertoire... there are alot more mad people I could talk about.

Like Nammy: her boyfriend took her kids from her and burned down her house and she went crazy.

Or Bob: the singing madman, always belting out Bob Marley tunes with an imaginary wooden guitar

Or this other madwoman from Highgate who's always wining on random men

My problem is that ALL of them carry knives or machetes...

Anonymous said...

The issue is one of institutionalization of mentally ill persons versus de-instutionalization and the larger question of costs to the society.ESTEBAN AGOSTO REID

Anonymous said...

I dont think Jamaica really has sufficient provisions for the mentally ill. They comprise a large percentage of the homeless/street people, but they're just allowed to run wild. As usual, we're waiting on somebody to actually get hurt before we do anything about it...

PS 'dingdong' is funny. There's a certain Jamaican radio personality who's always talking about Asafa's dingdong :)

Anonymous said...

Girl, just be careful.

Annie Paul said...

it is extremely unnerving to walk or drive by these characters. walking by them especially. sometimes they hurl objects at passing cars.

machetes are deadly objects, they really shouldn't be allowed to carry them.

'chopped to death by well hung nut'--shuddddderrrrr!

ruthibel said...

My point exactly! Even if we can't "afford" to take them off the streets, we can at least take these weapons away from them. It disturbs me when I pass mad people brandishing knives and cutlasses... that sick, sinister look... you nary know...

Jdid said...

good post. the authorities should rally do something. they are crazy and they are armed, to me that sounds like an accident waiting to happen.

of course when something bad does happen you'll have some sort of mob justice meted out which is just as bad. i say they just need to get them off the streets and possibly into treatment

Abeni said...

That's the million dollar question. Unfortunately,it takes one mad man hacking someone before the authorities get galvanised into action.

Unknown said...

Years ago, there was a decision to deal with mental illness by deinstitutionalizing persons, or rather, letting them loose with the idea that being integrated into society and communities was better for the mentally ill persons (and for the society in terms of costs). Well, as always, when we apply a model, we turn it into a moggle. So, there has not been any additional education or sensitizing the population regarding mental illness. We just know seh from di day we born, "mad man" an' "mad ooman" a walk roun stark modder naked, an pickney a fling bokkle afta dem, an when dem ready dem a fling back bokkle, doo-doo an rockstone afta yuh to! Me cannot tek madman a walk roun wid machete an a file piece a zinc fi mek weapon. Yuh neva see me cross street fasta dan when me see madman a come. Without question, mentally ill persons are harassed and mistreated on the streets; there is no wellness to be found in eating from the garbage bins, sleeping in filthy circumstances or walking down the middle of the street pointing one's dingaling like a machine gun at passersby.

Sometimes their illnesses can be treated even without being housed in an institution. I don't see many advocates for homeless persons doing or saying anything about this. Many of these individuals have also found and claim a "space" of freedom for themselves but which also depends on our fear of them.

However, while we're working out what we really need to do about the mental illness issue, I would really appreciate them being disarmed. That's just one other thing that my heart and blood pressure would appreciate.

ruthibel said...

Amen, Long, Amen.