It is funny but I just recently saw a documentary about Queen and Freddy Mercury. The two films and the two men had some resemblances. Both had difficult childhoods, both were extremely gifted and talented and both were committed to their music. The tragic is that they both died when they were on the top of their greatness and on the verge of divine proportions. Don’t miss this film!
I think it probably takes a nutter to become really successful. An extreme workaholic, perfectionist and obsession to succeed. All this usually means disaster for the people closest to the genius in question like the partners, children, parents and friends. It’s a good thing I’m just an average person, I am too lazy to be a genius or even going close to develop my potential. I think we all have it in us but as I said it takes a nutter to fully live it out.
In the film, Marley talks about living in Trench Town, the ghetto in Kingston, Jamaica and how people from the ghetto were treated, particular dreadlocks.
The relationship between rastas and the police in the Caribbean are very similar as the situation in the UK between the police and black young men. Brixton has about fifty-fifty of white as blacks and everything in-between but in the ten years I lived in Brixton I have never seen white young men being stopped and searched by the police. But never a week passes without I have seen young black men being stopped. If this is not harassment then I don’t know what is.
I am lucky to never been stopped in this way and if I would I would feel like I have been abused and like to make a complaint somewhere. But for the British people with brown skin colour this is a daily experience, either on personal level or it happened to a friend, a brother, partner or son. This has to stop!
The other day when I was walking back from my GP I saw a road block up the road by the police. As I came closer there were 11 (!) officers investigating a young black man. He was standing on the pavement being questioned by two officers whilst the others were standing around being intimidating. In his car there was an old man sitting in the front, probably his granddad or something. I am pretty sure the two of them had done no crime what so ever. How can this be allowed?
One evening I got disturbed by noise outside my window and I, curious as I am had to take a look and there was a police van that had stopped two black teenage boys. They checked their ID and their pockets and then let them go. How does that make you feel? No wonder we get riots ever now and then. There is an anger brewing in our society and the police are increasing the heat under the pot.
Or as Bob Marley express it: “These are the big fish who always try to eat down the small fish...”
