Submitted by Yardbroom
I am not usually moved to write on the opinions of “private persons”, because they are just individual opinions, which people are entitled to have. However, in this instance the opinions were expressed in a National Paper, quoted on BU (Barbados Underground) and caused me some concern, also in a general way they made reference to Barbadians, of which I am one – see Barbados Advocate article by Richard Goddard).
May I first quote the passages as you might not share my concerns, which of course you are entitled to do.
Quote: “In the recent series of public lectures on the 1937 Riots, although the speakers mentioned that Payne was a Marxist, no one explained what Marxism had done between 1930 and 1940 in Russia (USSR) under Joseph Stalin, killing 20 million of its own people. Recent events in the UK in August 2011, with the riots in London, Manchester, Bristol, to name some of the cities which lasted over four days of rioting, looting and arson, causing over £1 billion Sterling in damage”….
Unquote: This is surely a leap of the imagination, what connection is there between the London Riots and Marxism? I am not aware that in any of the judgements made in the Courts – to the vandalism and theft – or in the subsequent inquiry there was mention of a Marxist connection. Are we to link riots with Marxism when they occur or suppose that Marxism is a precursor to riots.
If you accept that in instances some hyperbloe is used to advance an argument, even that cannot excuse the above. The next passage to my mind caused deeper offence.
Quote: ….”BBC Television gave up-to-minute coverage of these riots, and I am sure that no one in their right mind would be celebrating these events 1 year or 75 years afterwards. That is how civilised society should conduct itself”.
Unquote: Barbados, therefore we are led to believe is celebrating uncivilised behaviour – riots – and the UK a civilised society would not do such a thing. First to Riots, people have at times rioted when they felt aggrieved or their concerns were not being properly addressed. The venting of anger is often comparable to the length of time they have been denied what they believe to be justice.
In the UK people have rioted in the past, even before the Gordon riots of June 1780 when about 285 people were shot dead, about 200 wounded around 450 rioters arrested……a Religious issue.
Also in the UK in June 1919 …”about 400 Canadian soldiers attacked the Police station in Epson. When the rioters stormed the Police Station, it was defended by 16 officers armed with wooden truncheons. During the ensuing fighting 11 policemen were injured, and Sargeant Thomas Green aged 51 was fatally wounded when he was hit on the head with an iron bar. He died in Epsom hospital the next day without having regained consciousness.” The Canadian soldiers’ grievance was that they were not returned to Canada as quickly as they would have liked after the War.
“On the 10 June 1940 Mussolini the Italian Dictator declared war on Great Britain and France. That night across the country- UK – angry riots broke out in many British cities mobs ransacked Italian property, mainly businesses, smashing windows and looting shops.”
People do riot when there is a believed reason to do so and there is latent tension. Do note in the riots to which I have referred you would have been hard pushed to see a” black face” in the riots.
Citizens through-out the world have at times used violence in the pursuit of a believed just cause. Note Nelson Mandella, many today celebrate his name and there is nothing uncivilised about it. Barbadian society should not be labelled as uncivilised or thought of as such, because they celebrate not the riot but someone who sought to promote a more equal society in a Barbados where systematic prejudice and discrimination found favour and succour, as it dragged its carcass between the Yacht Club, Aquatic Club and other such established businesses in a Barbados of that period.
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