“Well its claimed that he is an alleged drug lord, but for many people who lived in his area or areas in which he is said to control – he is a man who has filled in for the state, he provides them with money when they are out of work, he provides christmas presents for their children, and because of that loyalty they therefore see him as a major benefactor to their lives, and they will do anything to protect him – they call him the “President.” But, in the United States they say that he is an alleged drug-lord, they say that he is a gunman…”

Having been to Kingston, Jamaica numerous times, I am very familiar with the system of community governance and protection associated with various “area leaders.” Areas such as Tivoli Gardens (home to Bob Marley and referred to as the “concrete jungle”) are incredibly impoverished and completely disconnected from government help and control. Because they are completely disconnected from the government, the “area leaders” step in and fill the void to provide necessary social services to the families who inhabit these areas. For some, they would die without the meals that the area leaders provide. Thus, you can certainly expect shoot-outs and police stations to be set ablaze when you attempt to extradite a community figure who kept the entire area from sinking into complete and total destitution. For these people, it is a matter of survival.

So the question then becomes: Who is the bad guy here – the drug dealer who provides for the entire community or the police who are arresting an alleged “drug-lord and gunman?” You know which team we play for over here. Get money and support your community at all costs.