Canaan Heights resident says some persons can't be helped

Canaan Heights resident Jack Johnson* thinks it will take more than social interventions to turn things around in the Clarendon community.

Last Friday night, the community was rocked by a double murder following a gun attack which injured four other persons. Winston Bent, alias 'Buju', age 26, and 37-year-old machine operator Jerome Ellis, also called 'Jerr' and 'Platinum', died in the attack.

For the past few years, the community has also been the beneficiary of several social intervention programmes aimed at improving the quality of life of the residents.

When quizzed on the effectiveness of the programmes, Johnson was sceptical, as he said there are some people in the community that are beyond redemption.

"A nuh everybody certain tings help, cause you have people wid different mindset. Mi a tradesman and a go pon site long time, from mi a likkle bwoy, so a whey you put yuh mind to," he told CENTRAL STAR.

Johnson said there are some youth who have already made up their minds that they are not going to work, and will be living by the gun, and no matter what programmes come their way, their views won't be shifted.

"So nuh matter whey yuh waan do, nuh matter whey you waan encourage him fi do, him siddung deh and nuh matter whey programme a gwaan, him and him friend dem siddung a drink liquor and have dem gun pon dem; a dat dem a deal wid," the resident said.

Although Johnson is longing for the peace to be restored in the community, he said he is being realistic when he said that not everyone will be redeemed.

*Name changed to protect identity