Like spilled perfume that dissipates in the exhausted city air, their anger and cry for revenge vaporises into the immediate demands of life: money to send children to school, buy clothes and food, and keep a roof over their heads. Not much has changed for poor black Jamaicans, many of whom will be waving flags and taking pride in celebrating 60 years of Independence.

For many under 30, violence is all they have known. Each year the numbers climb and more measures are put in place, but like a yeasted bread, femicide, murder, and the slaughter of our children rise daily, and after each outrageous crime we wag our tongues, descend into barbarianism, free ourselves of blame, and point the finger.

But merely building more gated communities, increasing the number of security guards, and installing alarm systems after each crime makes us each complicit in the escalating insecurity of our island.

Crime and violence in the Caribbean must be contextualised. It was the violence of plunder, kidnapping, rape, and military and religious terror that formed the Caribbean, which was once a brutal space for the Taino people, who were almost wiped out by the Spaniards, and the enslaved Africans, whose free labour was maintained by floggings, amputations, and psychological degradation. The Caribbean, in reality, is less violent now than under the terror of European exploitation which our ancestors lived.

The recent femicide of 31-year-old Kemisha Wright and her four children has left me numb yet again. I send condolence and healing blessing to Gwendolyn McKnight whose daughter and four grandchildren — Kimanda Smith,15; Shara-Lee Smith, 10; Rafaella Smith, 5; and 23-month-old Kishawn Henry Jr — were discovered inside their home with their throats slashed. As a mother I cannot comprehend McKnight’s grief; such a loss is unfathomable. I send healing blessings, too, to the Cocoa Piece community in Chapleton, where this gruesome crime occurred. I cannot imagine the state of despair, terror, and fright of the children living there. I hope there has been and will be ongoing community healing and cleansing.

When the dons demand our 13- and 14-year-old daughters for their playthings and we hiss our teeth and band out bellies, we are complicit. When the don hauls out our sons at 14 and 15 and puts guns into their hands and sends them to sell drugs, we are all complicit. When university professors do research and can identify the number of gangs, their leaders, and their locations, but they continue to operate, we are all complicit. When soldiers are sent into those troubled communities without training to build trust and sit all day and impregnate the young women of the community, we are all complicit. When mothers and the community turn a blind eye when the rapist pays them $300,000 for their daughter and is allowed to drive a taxi in the community and rape other daughters, we are all complicit. When elected leaders focus on removing the guns but say nothing about stopping whoever is bringing the guns into the country, we are all complicit.

We have had 400-plus years to learn and internalise this violence that we must now unlearn. We were taught that violence was the only way to resolve issues, and now we have to unlearn such erroneous indoctrination.

Twenty-three-year-old Rushane Barnett has been charged with murdering Kemesha Wright and her four children, and many believe he should be put to death if found guilty in a court of law. I don’t know if he did it.

What I know is that the person who committed such a crime must be deeply sick. What I know is that often, before crimes occur in our neighbourhoods, we know the perpetrator and turn a blind eye. What I know is that many of us have become afraid and don’t want to get involved. What I know is that without a compassionate, loving village, we are all vulnerable. What I know is that if we do not decide to work together to make a difference, things will not change so we can enjoy the freedom of safety. What I know is that the death penalty is not a solution.

Allow me to remind us of a few of the horrendous crimes that have occurred in the last five years. In every one of these cases the community was outraged. But who among us pledged never again in my community; never again will a child or a mother or a son be so victimised. Never again. Enough is enough.

Three-year-old Nevalesia Campbell was raped and dismembered in Orange Hill, Brown’s Town, St Ann, in 2017; 13-year-old Shanoya Wray was raped and murdered by her teacher in 2018; 20-year-old Regional Coordinating Office. In all of the above instances, the community was incensed and came out in droves, then shortly thereafter returned to “normal”. Has there been justice for Nevalesia, Shanoya, Khanice?

Are the respective communities keeping their memories alive and saying never again?

Let us come together and talk about the changes that need to take place, how to implement them, how to mobilise our communities and demand cooperation from the police force not just after but before a crime. Let us be proactive and be mindful that an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.

Let us unite as loving and just people. Let us learn to embrace one another and build each other up rather than tear each other down. Let us acknowledge mental illness and get support to identify and treat it; let us practice general goodwill; let us teach our children in a soft, gentle manner and eliminate all types of violence from our homes. Let us learn to say I am sorry, I misjudged you, I disagree with your opinion, but I do not malice or plot vengeance against you. Let us reaffirm that we have the right to feel and live safely.

This is a mantra for Kemisha and her four children: We pledge to remember you, and we pledge to work to build a more inclusive and safe society for all Jamaicans. We pledge to throw off the pain and memory of violence that has been perpetrated against us and learn to love and value ourselves — every sister, brother, and child.

We pledge one love, and so it is, asé.

Professor Opal Palmer Adisa is a cultural activist and the former university director of the Institute for Gender and Development Studies, Regional Coordinating Office (IGDS-RCO) at The University of the West Indies, Mona. Send comments to the Jamaica Observer or golomay60@gmail.com.