For years, allegations have flown unceasingly about police excesses, but the incident last Thursday in Buckfield, St Ann, brought a new wave of revulsion across the island…Gomes charged that the “botched transition process” of the 17-year-old Police Public Complaints Authority is symptomatic of the poor treatment and lack of regard that is paid to the process of investigating police abuse – Jamaican Gleaner
The shooting of a private citizen by members of the Jamaican constabulary last week may appear to many Barbadians to be far removed from how we operate our society. Is it really far removed? To adjudge how far removed Barbados maybe from a Jamaican society which would give birth to policemen driven to shoot defenceless civilians, we should examine the furore generated recently by the cancellation of the Movado and Vybz Kartel coming to Barbados. What has become evident to those who want to see, the bad of the Jamaican culture has become firmly embedded in the Bajan culture. What is scary is to observe how our youth, representing the future of Barbados is so easily intoxicated by it all.
BU from inception has preached like Paul about the need for our social scientists to do some work. They need to explain how a mainly Black population has been able to support a stable political and social climate in a post-Independence period. It was not achieved by accident. Those Bajan morals and values which have underpinned our success has made our society the envy of many.
It saddens BU to observe how many Barbadians seem ready to relinquish what our forefathers worked so hard to lay the foundation for our success. We have opinion shapers who daily pollute our airwaves by labelling Bajans homophobic or jingoistic, simply because some of us are prepared to sound our concerns about losing the Bajan in Barbados. Does the blue yellow evoke feelings of patriotism in Bajans? It seems we are always willing to go with the flow, what is popular.
We have a fat middleclass segment who are happy to wallow in a world of materialism deep within their enclaves in the heights and terraces. They are tolerant about all that is amoral. The tragedy portrayed in the video should serve as a wake up call for Barbadians. We need to take charge of the path we want to chart to reach Destiny Barbados.
The high penetration of crime in Jamaica, Trinidad and Guyana should not be ignored. Why do we continue to be laissez faire about these matters? Why fight against protecting our borders? Why fight against a managed immigration policy? Why? Why? Why?
The blogmaster invites you to join the discussion.