Many have questioned the reason for the bad blood which exist between Barbados Free Press and Barbados Underground (BU). Up to now we had taken a decision to use whatever reputational capital we had acquired to absorb all* attacks directed at us. The attacks on BU have been centred on race related concerns and in recent weeks we have observed surrogate blogs adding to the vitriol being spewed. The real reason for the antagonism we know is our conflicting position regarding the Nelson Barbados Group matter. This is a matter which has seen Prime Minister David Thompson being engaged. What all of it has done is to spur us to stay true to the ideals which BU seeks to represent. Why have we decided to depart from our policy of direct engagement with Barbados Free Press now becomes the obvious question.
We had hoped the perpetrators of the uncalled for attacks on BU family member ROK would have abated after WordPress requested a blog be removed/changed that was offensive to ROK. As time has passed the attacks have become more and more vitriolic whether from the blogmaster of Barbados Free Press or via comments. All Barbadians who have followed the career of ROK know he has given unstintingly to the country Barbados in which he lives, most notably as an Intervenor in public utilities hearings through the years. It would therefore be negligent of BU if we did not use our blog to expose the duplicity of Barbados Free Press who by the weight of the evidence in our possession has been disingenuous to the cause.
The effectiveness of the blogs as a tool for social consciousness and social change is largely dependent on the anonymity of bloggers. Very few people are willing to put themselves and their families at risk of being sued or becoming the victims of official displeasure and censure or, indeed, in some cases of facing torture and even death in extreme cases. The advent of the blogs has allowed people with a social conscience to exercise that social conscience with minimal risk. The blogs have also allowed anyone who wishes to, to inform themselves, without the spectre of persecution that once visited both author and reader. It is against the foregoing we view the attack on ROK as a cowardly act by Barbados Free Press and in recent weeks by Dave No-balls Speller.
With human rights abuses continuing around the world, China is a good example, it is distressing to have proved that bloggers’ IPs and names have been revealed to those who would seek to use them for their own manipulative ends. We note that Barbados Free Press has always been highly critical of Barbados’ diplomatic ties with China, yet it has mirrored the same tactics it decries and betrayed the movement towards greater access to information and free speech.
Like BU, Barbados Free Press tells its readers that they can blog anonymously, that they do not have to identify themselves. Thus, an undertaking is implied that Barbados Free Press will protect their identities and the IPs that might lead to the revealing of those identities. Note that Barbados Free Press is itself protected against having to reveal the identities of those who blog on matters of Nation and international importance by the Inter-American Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression. Principal 8 states the following: “Every social communicator has the right to keep his/her source of information, notes, personal and professional archives confidential.” BU has discussed these matters in the past with the help of family members in the legal fraternity.
Through its actions, Barbados Free Press has not only completely ignored the spirit of the Declaration, but is guilty of the entrapment of its own bloggers. What amazes surely must be that Barbados Free Press made the approach and voluntarily (in a display of goodwill towards Keltruth Blog and bad faith towards its bloggers) provided a list of IPs of its anonymous bloggers. Bear in mind that Keltruth Blog as the evidence shows is a Peter Allard funded blog. The length to which some will go to get the identities of bloggers and commenters is further demonstrated in the attached email.
BU has been able to gain access to the complete files of K. William McKenzie filed in public domain with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. In the weeks and months ahead, we will blog about any matters which in our judgement should interest the Bajan Blogosphere.
To reiterate the point, we will use all of BU’s influence and our database to defend BU and members of the BU family with every neuron we can muster which resides in our cerebral cortex.
Stay tuned!
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