Baltimore is listed as the largest city in the State of Maryland, the largest independent city and the 26th most populous city in the USA. Of note is that greater than 60% of the population is Black followed by about 29% White. In the wake of Freddie Gray’s funeral – yet another Black man to die in police custody under questionable circumstances – rioting and other violent behaviour has placed the city under siege. The question onlookers are asking – is this a bunch of stupid Black people inappropriately expressing themselves? Is this a bunch of Black people with just concerns about race relations in America today? Is it ignorance and just concerns commingling?
Baltimore Under Siege in the Wake of Freddie Gray’s Funeral
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714 responses to “Baltimore Under Siege in the Wake of Freddie Gray’s Funeral”
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GP IS IT NOT TRUE TAT YOUR ARE A SPECIAL LICENSED AGENT THAT SPECIALIZES IN GIVING PEOPLE POISON TO CURE THEIR Illness. AH LIE?
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this website gives names and details of blacks who became victims at the hands of people officers , between 1999-2014 they are an unprecedented amount between 2012 and 2014 this unusual an alarming rate of death will give sufficient reason for people to go into the street and say Enough
http://gawker.com/unarmed-people-of-color-killed-by-police-1999-2014-1666672349
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The article from the Baltimore Sun titled “Undue Force” shows that these situations don’t occur in a vacuum. Ordinary people being beaten up by Police and then exonerated by the Courts when trumped up charges are lodged against them. Who knows how many people “grin and bore” the attacks because they were afraid of the repercussions. No one condones violence or destruction of property and it only takes one match to set fire to a building for all one knows anyone with a grudge could have been the arsonist.
Whenever there is destruction of property certain elements here also seem to wring their hands and point fingers with accusation “look they are destroying their own neighbourhood” these elements remain quiet about the incident that propelled it and are quiet about the violence perpetrated on the individuals leading up to them. A policeman shot a man in the back who was running away from him and the citizens of that neighbourhood didn’t riot because charges were promptly laid when a video surfaced showing what actually happened, incidentally prior to the publican of the video, it would have been business as usual. Didn’t read an expression of sympathy from this element for the individual or empathy for his family, yet there are out in force at the sound of glass breaking.There are many other instances of injustice and Police brutality that never make the headlines the victim suffer in silence and are sometimes incarcerated on trumped up charges.
A change is gonna come.
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A change is gonna come.
when? YOU MEAN IN THE MILLENNIUM
THE HEART IS DECEITFUL ABOVE ALL THINGS AND DESPERATELY WICKEDThere are many other instances of injustice that never make the headlines everywhere ESPECIALLY IN BARBADOS
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Bryant Stevenson
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yet there are out in force at the sound of glass breaking.
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S/B they are out in force…… -
It appears the Baltimore security forces have learned from how NOT to confront an angry public. So far so good. Treat people with respect and good things are likely to happen.
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So everyone, what should be conducted by the Big McGuffys especially people with serious connections and power like BHO, Holder etc to SOLVE:
1 Race Relations?
2 Poverty with special attention to the Black community?
3 Racial Policing
4 Justice system that appears to be unjust to Blacks
long list
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@Exclaimer April 28, 2015 at 1:48 AM “Latest news from Baltimore. I had no idea that the citizens were rioting.”
CORRECTION: Baltimore citizens are rebelling NOT rioting.
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@Easy Squeeze (make no riot) April 28, 2015 at 7:10 AM “Baltimore had riots in 1968 when the King died.”
CORRECTION The GOOD citizens of Baltimore rebelled in 1968 when Dr. Martin Luther King was MURDERED.
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@David April 28, 2015 at 8:21 PM “All must agree the violence saw last night is wrong.”
Violence is not always wrong. In fact violence is often justified. Violence is sometimes the only, and the best moral response to injustices. And nobody can claim that young black men in the United States are treated justly.
Didn’t Jesus cut the assess of the teif’ing money changers in the temple?
It is stupid and immoral and UnChristian to let others treat you unjustly.
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It is not easy to break the back of a young, strong, health, adult male.
Whom do the Baltimore police think they are fooling?
This reminds me of when the white South African police MURDERED Steve Biko, and then claimed that he banged his head against the ambulance until he was dead.
LIES then. LIES now.
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@Georgie Porgie April 28, 2015 at 2:05 PM “isnt it true that some one in our much vaunted education system responded to the line SEX WITH TWO TIMES?”
No GP. This is not true.
This is an “Ossie Moore” joke (urban legend)
I have been hearing this one since way, way back in the 1960’s.
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@D Ingrunt Word April 28, 2015 at 3:19 PM “Pres Bush said there were weapons of mass destruction. As an isolated comment he was an absolute liar and should be impeached. Taken in context of 9/11, strong reports from the intelligence community and all that was going down at the time his actions can be better framed as misguided decision making and strategy.”
Stop making excuses for stupidity and arrogance do.
Hans Blitz was there. He was searching for weapons of mass destruction.
He found NONE.
But even before Blitz was finished Bush decided to send in the troops.
mass destruction either. A lotta people died. Iraq was wrecked. Instead of Saddam we have ISIS.Is that a good or sensible or desirable outcome?
@D Ingrunt Word April 28, 2015 at 3:19 PM Taken in context of 9/11.
Taken in the contaxt of 9/11 what. The 9/11 bombers were Saudi, and we all knew that from day 1. They were NOT Iraqi.
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What was done to Iraq after 9/11 was shocking and awful.
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@Georgie Porgie April 28, 2015 at 4:00 PM “LORD HOW I THANK YOU THAT I AM NOT A BLACK AMERICAN”
Dear GP: The white American police do not know that ou are not a black american.
So don’t go being so thankful yet.
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Georgie Porgie April 28, 2015 at 4:34 PM “WE BLACKS HAVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE AN ASS OF OUR SELVES WITHOUT THINKING.”
So why do you feel that the people rebelling in Baltimore are unthinking?
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@David April 28, 2015 at 5:27 PM “To borrow the words form a White leader in Baltimore, the issues of social justice in the US are complex.”
Complex my @ss.
The average 3 year old knows when he or she is being treated unjustly and will call out the injustice by saying “That’s not fair”
If the average 3 year old recognizes injustice why do big men and women talk about complexity?
People are just making excuses for refusing to do the right thing.
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@MoneyBrain April 28, 2015 at 6:51 PM “all, should have Police Night Sticks broken in their BACK! That is on a good night, when I feeling liberal cause they should know that BULLETS could fly.”
I think that the RCMP should keep a sharp eye on you.
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@Georgie Porgie April 28, 2015 at 8:39 PM “I KNOW SOMETHING WRONG WITH DEM AMERICAN NIGGAS.”
There is nothing wrong with black Americans, just as there was nothing wrong with Bajans who violently rebelled several times in our history, including in the lifetimes of some of us on this blog.
Black Americans and black Bajans are more sinned against than sinners.
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https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10153293327919295&set=a.461291359294.256602.518884294&type=1
Pic 1:
Vancouver,2011 Because a hockey team lost.
Pic 2:
San Francisco 2012 because a baseball team won
Pic 3:
Keene, NH because of Pumpkins
Pic 4:
Denver, 2014. Because a football team lost.Don’t let the MEDIA fool you…
I want justice for ALL people… Because really and truly all lives matters…
BUT
Let’s not act oblivious as to why the Baltimore riots are REALLY occurring…this is not simply an act of ignorance. Freddie Grey was murdered.
More than 100 UNARMED black men have been killed in 2015 by the police…. How is this not genocide?
7 officers were “injured” during the riots…
STOP KILLING BLACK MEN!
#letthatmarinate
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I am aghast that so called Christian member of BU aka GP who live in the USA can be soo derogative about their brothers plight. He is sooo proud to let people know that he is not an African American. That is so typical of light skinned negroes or red men in Bajan parlance.
Still no word from the Baltimore authorities about who is responsible for Gray’s death. The whole world knows who is BUT not one has been held responsible. The Baltimore police force is made up of a large percentage of black officers. Is it because those responsible are Black?
I applaud that mother who took action on her son who was one of the fools taking part in the rioting.
Simple Simon girl I love yuh too bad!
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For those who wonder why BU has highlighted this issue, many of us have family members scattered across the USA and we have a large following who follow BU from N America. There is also the observation we wish to highlight what is possible when marginalized people are pushed to the limit.
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After Ferguson President Obama created a Task Force on 21st Century Policing and it has completed an Interim Report.
Under the Heading:” Building Trust & Legitimacy” are four core principles:
1. Treating people with dignity and respect
2. Giving individuals ‘voice’ during encounters
3. Being neutral and transparent in decision making
4. Conveying trustworthy motivesIf these are adopted they would go a long way in resolving conflict, however there are other issues at play affecting blacks in the USA i.e. income inequality, substandard schools and lack of opportunity etc. If left unresolved they will be more Fergusons, Baltimores etc.
Here is a copy of the Interim Report
http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/taskforce/Interim_TF_Report.pdf
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Simple Simon:
If you were ever on the train in New York City and was slashed across the face by one of these “sweet and nice” black american youth then you may know where Georgie is coming form. Or if you were ever walking close to a crowd of them after school and just brushed one and received a deadly beating you may see where Georgie is coming from. You people sit here without living it!! Armchair RADICALS!!!!
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Here is one of the main reasons why the America inner cities are disadvantaged by those at the top:
90% of the worlds heroin comes from Afghanistan, the US military has been there since 2001.
For some unexplainable reason exports of opium (used for making heroin) has been the highest ever in the history of that country and this is during a war?
The DEA and the US military (both Government entities) haven’t destroyed one of the largest sources of heroin (drugs) to the world.
Yet there has been an increased supply in the US inner cities which in some cases is combined with marijuana or crack.
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@ David,
Racism exist across the USA AND CANADA. Here in Toronto we have CARDING and Police stopping you for DWB (driving while black).
The majority of Bajans in North America are mostly law abiding, well spoken ……..who don’t give a puck about their non Bajan black brothers.
It is unfortunate that even today an honest, hardworking accomplished black man is still perceived as a “criminal” because of the colour of his skin.
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One of the issues in the USA is the war against the poor who are mainly Black Americans or other minorities, e.g. the do nothing Congress recently passed a bill repealing The Federal Estate Taxes law which affects 0.2 % of Americans or 5400 people. You would have to leave your heirs $5.4 million for them to be impacted by this tax. This just goes to show that the people who donate money to the politicians call the tune, the rest are collateral damage who are manipulated come Election day.
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LORD I THANK YOU AGAIN THIS MORNING THAT I AM NOT AN AMERICAN NIGGA.
LORD I THANK YOU THAT WHEN AN INJUSTICE HAS BEEN DONE TO ME—AS IT OFTEN HAS THAT I DO NOT GO OUT AND BURN BUILDINGS AND LOOT AND ROB
LORD I THANK YOU THAT YOU HAVE TAUGHT ME THAT THERE IS A BETTER WAY
LORD I THANK YOU THAT YOU HAVE TAUGHT ME NOT TO JUSTIFY WRONG DOING AND VIOLENCE
Hants you are correct when you opine that racism exist across the USA AND CANADA.
IT CONTINUES TO EXIST IN BARBADOS AS IT ALWAYS HAS. NOW WE HAVE BLACK BLACK RACISM,. AND POLITICAL CLASS VS THE POPULACE
Hants you are also correct when you opine that The majority of Bajans in North America are mostly law abiding, well spoken ……..who don’t give a puck about their non Bajan black brothers.
It is unfortunate that even today an honest, hardworking accomplished black man is still perceived as a “criminal” because of the colour of his skin. AND THIS WILL CONTINUE UNTIL THE MILLENNIUM
THERE WILL BE NO PEACE ON EARTH UNTIL THE PRINCE OF PEACE COMESTHEN MORONS AND EVIL DOERS WILL BE CONTROLLED WITH AN IRON ROD
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Sargeant April 29, 2015 at 8:31 AM #
One of the issues in the USA is the war against the poor who are mainly Black Americans or other minorities,THE LORD HIMSELF SAID……. THE POOR YOU WILL ALWAYS HAVE WITH YOU. WHY IS THIS TRUE.
IN BARBADOS THERE IS A WAR AGAINST THE ONCE MIDDLE CLASS TO MAKE THEM POOR AGAIN BY FUMBLE AND THE DEMS ah lie?
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Imho.the lady who publicly chastise her son gave the racist more political power and a platform upon which they can rave and rant their racist views with vitriol against blacks. IMHO she dshuld have done her chastisement outside of this kind of enviroment which is already saturated with selfserving opinions and where the effect of her corrections would reinforce in the racist mind that blacks are thugs and should be dealt with harshly
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Much has been made of the woman who dragged her son from participating in the riot, but what struck me is her rationale for doing so she said and this may be not be an exact quote “ I have one son and I don’t want him to be another Freddie Gray”. We can all empathize with mothers like her who don’t want to identify her son lying in a morgue with a toe tag and many unanswered questions. Many mothers want to avoid that experience , here is one black man’s experience of growing up in Baltimore:
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/29/opinion/in-baltimore-were-all-freddie-gray.html?ref=opinion
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@GP
You are in danger of becoming like the Pharisee who said ‘ Lord I thank you that I am not like those other men etc…” but you are more familiar with that subject than I am.
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Re Anthony April 29, 2015 at 8:09 AM #
Here is one of the main reasons why the America inner cities are disadvantaged by those at the top:90% of the worlds heroin comes from Afghanistan, the US military has been there since 2001.
For some unexplainable reason exports of opium (used for making heroin) has been the highest ever in the history of that country and this is during a war?
The DEA and the US military (both Government entities) haven’t destroyed one of the largest sources of heroin (drugs) to the world.
Yet there has been an increased supply in the US inner cities which in some cases is combined with marijuana or crack.
DID YOU LEARN THIS DURING YOUR STUDIES TO MASTERS LEVEL IN THE USA OR DID YOU GET THIS FROM YOUR SON WHO WENT TO CAMBRIDGE?
ARE YOU SAYING THAT, I, A NON SPECIAL BLACK MAN LIVING IN AN AMERICAN INNER CITY SHOULD ALLOW MYSELF TO BE DISADVANTAGED BY USING HEROIN FROM AFGHANISTAN OR CRACK OR MARIJUANA
DID NOT THE LORD GOD GIVE ME ,A NON SPECIAL BLACK MAN LIVING IN AN AMERICAN INNER CITY A BRAIN SO I CAN KNOW NOT TO IMBIBE NONSENSE INTO MY BODY?
WHY IS IT THAT THESE AMERICAN NIGGAS WONT STUDY TO THE MASTERS LEVEL IN THIER COUNTRY. DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH WORK IS AVAILABLE WORKING FROM HOME WITH SUCH A MASTERS.
is it the job of the DEA and the US military (both Government entities) to go to Afghanistan to destroy heroin and opium?
BARE MOCK SPORT IN DE RUM SHOP TODAY
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Sargeant April 29, 2015 at 8:47 AM #
@GPYou are in danger of becoming like the Pharisee who said ‘ Lord I thank you that I am not like those other men etc…” but you are more familiar with that subject than I am.
IT SEEMS THAT YOU HEARD A BIBLE STORY AT SCHOOL BUT YOU DONT SEEM TO UNDERSTAND THAT YOU CANT APPLY A TEXT UNLESS YOU CAN RIGHTLY DIVIDE T IN ITS CONTEXT
i like the mother that put those licks in that stupid black boy, for what ever reason
she IS THE ONLY NIGGA DAT NIGHT THAT SHOWED THAT THEY HAD ANY SENSEI REPEAT
LORD I THANK YOU AGAIN THIS MORNING THAT I AM NOT AN AMERICAN NIGGA.LORD I THANK YOU THAT WHEN AN INJUSTICE HAS BEEN DONE TO ME—AS IT OFTEN HAS THAT I DO NOT GO OUT AND BURN BUILDINGS AND LOOT AND ROB
LORD I THANK YOU THAT YOU HAVE TAUGHT ME THAT THERE IS A BETTER WAY
LORD I THANK YOU THAT YOU HAVE TAUGHT ME NOT TO JUSTIFY WRONG DOING AND VIOLENCE
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rE We can all empathize with mothers like her who don’t want to identify her son lying in a morgue with a toe tag and many unanswered questions. Many mothers want to avoid that experience
SHOULD NOT A MOTHER CORRECT A SON FOR JUST PLAIN DOING SHITE!ROBBING AND LOOTING AND DEFYING AUTHORITY IS WRONG— IT IS SHITE!
SANE SENSIBLE MOTHERS SHOULD STOP THEIR CHILDREN FROM DOING SHITE , STEER THEM AWAY FROM DRUGS FROM AFHANISTAN AND SEND THEM TO GET MATERS DEGREES …….ah lie?
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@GP
IT SEEMS THAT YOU HEARD A BIBLE STORY AT SCHOOL BUT YOU DONT SEEM TO UNDERSTAND THAT YOU CANT APPLY A TEXT UNLESS YOU CAN RIGHTLY DIVIDE T IN ITS CONTEXT
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Sunday school to be precise, break it down for me I am an not too old to learn. -
GP(granpa)who are u to crticize and condem the rioters as criminals when you are a drug pusher for the medical and pharmaceutical profession that murder millions of people worldwide that use these drugs. Physician. heal thy self
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@Anthony
More than 100 UNARMED black men have been killed in 2015 by the police…. How is this not genocide?
If it is genocide then it is very poorly conducted since the example of Rwanda, a very low tech society, removed 800,000+ humans in a very short space of time. This requires much investigation and as I have pointed out people dont want to believe the DOJ’s Furgusson Report and that was under Holder and BHO??????????
So everyone, what should be conducted by the Big McGuffys especially people with serious connections and power like BHO, Holder etc to SOLVE:
1 Race Relations?
2 Poverty with special attention to the Black community?
3 Racial Policing
4 Justice system that appears to be unjust to Blacks
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MoneyBrain April 29, 2015 at 9:31 AM #
YOU ARE OUT OF ORDER SIR
HOW DARE YOU TRY TO CONTRADICT A MAN WHO STUDIED TO MASTERS LEVEL IN THE USA AND HAS A SON WHO GRADUATED FROM CAMBRIDGE? LOL LOL MURDAH -
@Hants
Carding is a major bone of contention in TO—BUT we have a brand new Black Police Chief, Mr Saunders born in London, UK to Jamaican parents, 32 years experience in virtually all aspects of Policing, and he will be reviewing the entire Carding Conundrum asap.
Many dark peeps have already stated that having a Black Chief means nothing positive, WHY?This was before day 1 of his tenure?????? Is it because BHO and Holder achieved nothing in this regard in the US?
Is it because Carding in NYC proved so very effective in reducing crime? Said reduction of crime benefited Black and Hispanics citizens mainly, did it not?
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@ac
The lady that slapped around her son actually showed Racists that there are excellent Black Mommas out there trying their best to raise Black youth in a viscous societal caldron where even the best mothered youth can easily be led astray!
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@ Simple Simon
Girl you got me liking you and rating you thumbs up coming and going.
@ Sargeant
That TED video is really fantastic.
I was listening to him speak so eloquently about things the ole man been saying so poorly and I said to myself “myself, you need to go to elocution school”
I wonder what clowns like GP say when the facts of the abject desolation of a people who have no support mechanisms in their home and community, go bananas and are prone to kill you for looking at them too long.
It really gets you to wondering which part of suburbia he lives his fairy tale life in.
Never thought I would say this but AC you are spot on in your assessment of the learned but seriously disconnected doctor
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10,000 people peacefully protest in Downtown Baltimore, but the media only reports violence and arrests.
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Anthony wrote
10,000 people peacefully protest in Downtown Baltimore, but the media only reports violence and arrests.
What media you checking—Fox????? An educated gent to Masters level did not research that the Baltimore situation was being covered ALL along? Obviously when violence breaks out the coverage intensifies simply because it is more intense! Bad news sells and wusser news sells better this is the mantra of media. They started a good news TV channel in LA years ago and it was a miserable failure. Why? People want bad news!
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Is it “Armchair RADICALS” or Bajan hypocrisy?
Nobody lashes you on a subway here but you may get shot or some warm licks on a ZR or minibus or if you are in the wrong place and run into one of the local psychopaths. Lots more of them in NY and US fah sure but many here too.
You brush or step on the foot of a ‘rude boy’ anywhere and yah getting licks. Period. Barbados, US or Timbuktu.
GP’s rant that the core problem is self worth among the disenfranchised black youth is beyond reproach. I agree that less ‘woe is me’ and more ‘I am black see me soar’ is the right tonic.
But he knows well enough that one cannot simply eradicate generations of well defined racial prejudice and its impact on the youth just so.
Prejudices to this day which paints the black man into a corner even when he is very qualified to get the job. He then has problems to receive merit promotions and enjoy a fruitful career. But rant on Mr. GP.
As he said the black on black racism is rampant in Barbados (in US too) and the question arising from that and comments from David also is: How much better are we in BIM than these flare-ups in US?
We may not have rampant police on citizen incidents but the police corruption is basically the same. Mothers wailing for their sons is the same. The white-black divide is the same.
And too…The class conscious snobbery is the same: “I look around and see people who have not done an honest day’s work in their whole lives driving around in MP cars, having an ostentatious standard of living, unlike …poor families … who the Welfare Officer gives [a measly sum] to feed a family of ten for a whole week.”
And…The political corruption is the same (wid scratch-grain money, of course): “Now what has bothered me in this society is that every time after elections, people expect certain things to take place…we know that even on polling day, people were given envelopes with $100 bills in them.
Oh, those quotes as many of you recognize are from 1986. Look at we now; wus!
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