One of the things that stuck out the most to me from this reading was the process that Jacks Hill underwent from being a relatively safe and peaceful area of Jamaica to then becoming one where violence was common. Most notably, the different ways the narratives surrounding Jacks Hill changed overtime was something that I found incredibly interesting. Thomas describes most people’s perceptions of Jacks Hill in great detail and explains how the first isolated incidents came as a shock to the community because they were not in line with the prior narratives that had surrounded the area. However, these perceptions changed as the violence motivated by differences in political opinions and economic status increased, and soon people began to feel much less safe in Jacks Hill. From there, the narratives transformed as Thomas described national newspapers writing about this transition as being almost inevitable.
This led me to wonder about similar areas and cities in the United States that might have undergone similar transformations within the news media and how this has impacted them in the long term. Is gang violence in the South Side of Chicago viewed as normal and unsurprising to both outsiders and residents? Do Thomas’ thoughts on Jacks Hill hold up when studying Compton? I’m curious to see how we can use Thomas’ description of the reasons why violence occurs within the context of our own communities and think that this could be incredibly interesting.
I think you make a good point when focusing on the narratives dispensed by both local and national media. With respect to your question about areas in the United States that have similar issues, I think the narrative question can be expanded. Not only how the narrative of violence impacts those who live in these areas, but how much does it affect the violence itself. What do the gangs themselves see in the narratives they help create? Does the narrative itself shape the violence it reports?