EVEN from the TEENager's perspective, crime and violence in the Jamaican society is of epidemic proportion. It has become evident that far too often teens become victims to random acts of extreme violence and criminality. It is sad, but true to say that words like robbery, crime, gun and bullet are no strangers to a child's vocabulary.

It is even more depressing to know that these words sometimes become reality in the life of a child. Far too many children and teenagers are being murdered in Jamaica, and TEENage wonders how many more will meet a tragic end? How many more funerals must we attend until we realise that the very same child in the coffin could have been our next prime minister, footballer or potential young ambassador of Jamaica.

Case in point, 10-year-old Stacy-Ann Clarke of lot 1065 Seaview Gardens Phase 1, Kingston 11. Young and innocent, little Stacy was on an errand for her father when she was shot in the neck as gunmen exchanged bullets in a shoot-out. She was immediately admitted to the University Hospital of the West Indies, and later succumbed to her injuries on May 2, 2008. This little girl, who died as a result of tragic circumstances, was a natural born leader who met her end a few decades too soon.

Stacy-Ann, a student of Seaview Gardens Primary School, was a very active young student as she was a member of the school's rugby and track and field teams. She was an individual whom teachers and students alike looked up to; she would often take over the class when the teacher was absent, trying to maintain some sense of discipline. She was always a happy person and loved to take part in male-dominated activities such as playing football, marbles and climbing trees. Can you imagine someone so precious as Stacy-Ann meeting a violent death at such a tender age?

It is a shame that Stacy-Ann's parents will never get the chance to see their little girl accomplish the goals and ideals she had set for herself. We here at TEENage express our condolences to the family and friends of Stacy-Ann Clarke. May her young and innocent soul rest in peace.

Reshane 'Dagga' Ellison had no choice when his life came to an abrupt end last Monday. Dagga was a 22-year-old reader of TEENage and an aspiring footballer of the Molynes United Football team. He was a person of very few words. Most of his talking was expressed on the football field.
Never tackling too hard or soft, Dagga was a good person at heart. He was visiting family in Spanish Town and upon his return home the following morning at 8:30 he was robbed and killed at a bus stop. He could have been a great footballer at the national level, but now his friends and family can only wonder if he would have made it.
In this battlefield that we call life, Dagga is one more 'fallen solider', who is missed dearly by all those who knew and loved him. TEENage also expresses condolences to his family, friends and team-mates.

TEENage must also wonder how many more Stacy-Anns and Daggas must we lose before we all make a change to instill peace within the minds of the youth. How much more blood and tears must we shed until something positive is done? It was too late for Stacy-Ann and Dagga. But will it be too late for you or someone you know? How many more funerals must we attend? Will the next one be for your friend or your family member? When will the violence cease and peace increase? TEENagers would like to attend more graduations than funerals.

Will we be granted that chance?

The Form Beneath The Stone - Nagina's Three-Week Body

New MiPhone hits MoBay…

Diverse styles and offerings at 'Musicfest'