Moore
Claude Mills, Staff Reporter
THERE are few self-styled community dons who lived the flashy public lives that William "Willie Haggart" Moore did.
Before his death, he organised "bashment bus rides", mugged for the cameras during dancehall sessions, and hung out with his "Black Roses Crew" at nightclubs and outdoor dances all over the country.
Now that he's gone, "Haggart's" mark on Lincoln Crescent in Kingston is a reminder of the influence and material success of his life. It is on colourful murals on the walls of the enclave he had carved for himself, the haberdashery, the grocery, and the fading red stain on the street where he was gunned down on April 18.
Dancer Gerald "Bogle" Levy, who said he was the one who had invited "Haggart" to be a part of the Black Roses Crew, shed tears at the funeral and made it clear the don had people he could trust.
"Willie was my friend. He looked out for the community. I loved Willie for Willie, and even though other people caused friction between us, I was his true friend, mi still caan believe this gwaan," he said.
But the fallout from a don's death goes beyond the hail of gunshots that extinguished his life. There is always the fear of reprisal killings.
"Somebody a go dead fi Willie's death, learn that. What mi seh?...Yu can quote mi pon da one de," a member of the Black Roses Crew vowed, punctuating each sentence by jabbing a reporter in his chest.
The death of a don changes all the variables in the social and political equation in his sphere of influence, especially the quotient of fear, economic, personal and otherwise. For many, there is a void in the community and economic uncertainty clouds the future.
"Willie was a godfather to the youths in the area. He helped to send lots of kids to school, he had businesses, him employ youths from the area, and he was involved in contract work which helps nuff unemployed man to get jobs...now nobody no know how things can turn," one man said.
However, others disagree. A resident in another area of Arnett Gardens shot down the warm-and-fuzzy image, claiming that "Haggart" earned a reputation as a man with a mean streak who was quick to violence. She hinted at a two-facedness on the part of some residents who pretended public grief to hide personal relief.
"Willie wasn't well-loved by everyone, but people can't talk it," the woman told a reporter. "To be truthful, he helped some people on his ends, and he had annual treats for the kids. But he was a show-off and boasy. Him did moody, and he disrespected a lot of people... You never know when him woulda just box down somebody."
Still, some 5,000 persons reportedly attended "Haggart's" funeral recently, to pay homage in an event that fused the cults of celebrity and style. Cosmetologists and nail technicians in downtown Kingston raked in a windfall of cash as residents of the area donned fancy hairdos, and spruced up for the event.
"We did very well over the weekend, people were just excited about the funeral," said Jackie, the owner of Jackie's Beauty and Hair Salon in downtown Kingston, prior to the May 8 funeral. "...It was a bashment weekend."
When a don dies, there are public implications for members of the political directorate. Opposition leader, Edward Seaga, ignited a firestorm of criticism in the past for attending the funerals of Shower Posse leader Lester Lloyd "Jim Brown" Coke and his son, Mark Anthony "Jah T" Coke.
Members of the ruling People's National Party also paid homage to men who were regarded as heroes by many in their communities. At the funeral, Dr. Omar Davies, Member of Parliament for South St. Andrew, was quoted as describing "Haggart" as a "good friend who always supported me, and who always spoke his mind."
Influence
However, Member of Parliament for Central St. Catherine Olivia "Babsy" Grange, does not believe that a Member of Parliament's political survival is pegged to the influence of a don.
"The survival of an MP depends on the relationship with the people," she told The Sunday Gleaner. "In some communities, you have individuals who have influence, but if you do a job and can relate to them, no one individual can make your life difficult and uncomfortable."
And what of the close association with men of shady reputations?
"If you're a pastor in the church, you have to deal with the good, the bad and the ugly," Ms. Grange added. "And as a political representative, you have to deal with everyone, but the bottom line is how you conduct yourself, to thine own self be true. Maybe you can bring to bear some amount of decorum and model behaviour in these communities depending on how you act."
"Haggart" died intestate so there are questions as to what will happen to his business interests in the community. Among the assets are a trucking and car rental company, haberdashery, and a liquor store. Family members have promised that his various businesses will go on as planned.
"Give us two weeks and we'll get everything back on track," a man who described himself as a "friend of the family," told The Sunday Gleaner after the funeral. "There are directors who will ensure that what Willie has done will continue. There is still a park that has to be finished. Willie gave to a number of charities, and while he might have been moody, he was a charitable person."
Asked about the possibility of a brewing war between rival political factions over "Haggart's" death, the man said: "The great one may have gone, but he would not feel comfortable knowing that World War III had broken out in his place. If there is going to be any war, it won't be from our side."
Next in line
Then there is the question of who will succeed "Haggart". That drew stone cold silence.
"We have nothing to say about that...no comment on that," the man said.
Shortly after "Haggart's" death, residents of the area braced for what they thought could have been a frightening turf war, especially in a climate rife with propaganda and talk of double-crosses and assassination plots.
"Right now, it's really uncertain what is happening," a woman said then. "People still deh pon the road inna de community but dem a look fi anything happen right now."
When a don dies, it leaves a vacancy for the top spot that many "young-bloods" seek to fill especially if there is no clear successor, but not anyone can be a don. Inner-city observers believe potential successors need the "Big Five" to gain "donhood": wealth, personality/charisma, the ability to ignite fear in supporters and enemies, followers who are either ignorant and poor, and an ego, that self-belief which is the glue that holds everything else together.
Although a don's funeral is marked by fanfare, daring fashions and opulence, it is a dark reminder to other would-be dons and area leaders of how fickle life is in their present employment. "Haggart's" life ended in an unnerving symmetry to the deaths of other well-known area leaders such as Claudius Massop, "Bucky Marshall", "Copper" and "Feathermop".
People "clam up" when the words "don" and "death" are mentioned in the same sentence. They will flock to see a dead don, they just won't talk about him much.
"I don't want anything to do with that," said one area councillor when questioned about the issue. "Leave me out of that, okay sir."
When a don dies, the media also faces a dilemma. Without solid evidence, they are relegated to treating the death and subsequent funeral as a glitzy event. There is a danger that the media itself will help to mythologise or canonise men with less-than-sunny reputations.
Is a don a necessary evil? Maybe not. But it is fascinating how people, especially those living under depressed circumstances, seem to bank on the idea of a "saviour", a man who can deliver them from the trying times they are forced to live in, and get them to that promised land.
