“Pushed”
Submitted by Margaret Harris
Shemar Weekes
A little boy in Barbados has died. Not in sleep or because he had an illness. He did not die like so many little boys walking certain neighbourhoods because he was black; Barbadian boys are supposed to have a real chance at a future. He did not die by falling off the back of a cane-truck like a child I knew who would now be diagnosed with ADHD, not that that diagnosis would necessarily be true. He died because someone did not listen and if they had listened, they did not hear and if they heard, they did nothing about it. He said goodbye to his classmates and left them for the day. He told them they would not be seeing him anymore, as if he had had a plan, as if he knew that something was going to happen to him, even if he inflicted the wound himself. But did he cause his own death?
Someone said that there was a big gash somewhere on his head, that he didn’t kill himself. But we all know what happens when there is too much speculation through second and third party whisperings without speaking to the source and Shamar Weekes, tiny it seems by any standard for a 14 year old, is not here to tell his truth. In any case, whether he faltered too sad to scream or laugh or try to fight anymore, to beg for an opportunity to live the life he wanted, Shamar Weekes was figuratively pushed. The literal take on the story, we will have to wait for later, when the second and third party versions of what went on in the house and Shamar’s mind are over, emotionalism has simmered down and investigators match evidence to speculation, or not match evidence to speculation and somehow we carry on with our lives, much as we did before. For barring a miracle, this is what I expect to happen. We are like ostriches; we come up for air to guzzle at the spectacle or even be sad, then we bury our heads again because indeed we need to carry on. Back to our corner of the woods, our designated roles, our own troubles, the lives we created for ourselves. Someone else will take care of it. Aren’t we all playing our parts in the (re) construction of this beautiful country?
Shamar died here in this land, where community is supposed to mean more, in his house in misery and in pain. He is not the first child to have died but something about the way he came to his end opens up the country to examine its soul – not only the neighbours who must for the rest of their lives live with the knowledge that they heard the bumps and the thumps, the licks and the bruising of the teenager’s spirit and did nothing; nor the people who saw him sucking limes but responded only so much and no more, nor the woman who thought twice when he asked her to,but she did not take him in. The entire nation will be put on trial whenever this case is heard. We have to go deep and ask, which child was/is in trouble that I did not/have not assisted? We have to ask, how much did I turn my head to hunger, to stories about sexual abuse, to a child’s suffering which must surely be the mother of all sufferings?
What drives a young boy to be so cheerful at school, it is claimed, when something was so wrong? They say that men generally commit suicide when women only try but often fail. Why do little boys and teenagers commit suicide? They also say “all” teenagers have some notion of killing themselves at some point in the transition to adulthood. But whether Shamar jumped, or was jumped, or whether his head was bashed with a hard heavy or metal object, he is dead. Barbados has to reason its way through the mire of this story and in so doing, come to terms with something about itself.
Remember when there were no murders in Barbados? Or only one murder a year and then two and three and so on? You say, “ah but this is the world. it is happening the world over. We have things here that are great and good and wondrous” and all of that would be true. It is the not so wondrous changes and shifts we still have to deal with and what is the future we wish for our country and our children.
Everything is relative you say – neighbours do not have to respond, child abuse is a worldwide phenomenon, that is the place of the “useless” Child Care Board; But before the Child Care Board, there was the citizen. We are every bit as entitled to be watchdogs and caretakers in a country in which jobs are far fewer, child abuse is every other person’s story stretching across both the black and white communities. The future that is changeable, is what we always have to look to… in a country in which communities teem with dust and growth in “block children” and sure, yes, I may be overstating the case because afterall it is not Haiti or Jamaica or Guyana. And no, Shamar was not Shamar from the block – for all I’ve read and heard.
Coupled with the flight of something that overtook him, Shamar died, they said, from a rope, his feet hanging or dangling, barely touching the floor, at an age in which memories only just begin to gather. Those memories, it is said, were far from good. Bad memories, cumulatively they say may cause great depression and suicidal thoughts. Shamar in that sense, was already a big man, grappling with fears it seems no young person should have to entertain at that age. Hiding sometimes, asking for help at others. Yet there he is, in the picture, resiliently smiling, gritting his teeth, eyes attempting to dissimulate his burden, until the light in them could shine no more.
Until he died, the little boy was an unknown to the majority of us. Before he died, he, it is claimed, searched in years so young to find an answer to the problems that seared his soul. So what was it that took him to his death? There are no two ways to answer this: whatever verdict is arrived at – Shamar Weekes was definitely pushed.
Barbados Underground 
Islandgal,
Did you hit Bushie round his head with that 2×4?
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Look Donna
You are talking shiite …OK?
Bushie can easily see the point in other’s arguments, …but there must be one there to be seen. …You have none.
How long do you think it will take for a ‘competent doctor’ to determine that the child was abused? …what happens in the intervening YEARS…?
How long does it take a ‘competent doctor’ now …to find that an ‘accident victim was injured in a car crash’? Shiite woman!!, …we even had to import someone to determine the cause of death of the last child…
…so every time there is an accusation of abuse …the CCB is to find a ‘competent doctor’?
There is ALREADY a system in place for the protection of children.
It is called PARENTS /GUARDIANS….
THIS is the system that we need to investigate and fix …. not look to a band-aid like the CCB that cannot POSSIBLY effective deal with the problem. At best, the CCB is there to support and assist parenting …NOT to replace or supersede it.
Emotional rants do not help…..
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BUSHITE….listen to Donna for once in your life you foolish old geyser. Donna Bushite is a know it all (thanks to AC for that name Bushite). The child could have been taken away from the home to save him. When glaring cases of child abuse is evident we should leave no stones unturned to save that child. The problem with us is that we feel that physically beating a child is for the good of the child. Ask Bushite he believes in beating to discipline.
BUSHITE CORK UP YUH BEHIND TOO MUCH SHITE YUH SPEWING!
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Bushie,
You seem happy in your ignorance. Enjoy!
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Islandgal,
It’s not his behind that’s leaking. His system is all backed up. Nobody was suggesting that the CCB replace parents. Nobody was denying that the problem is bigger than the CCB. Nobody was denying the initial fault lies with the parents. Nobody was suggesting that the CCB could supervise 100,000 parents on its own. I have already suggested that all right-thinking members of society have to be vigilant in the communities where they live. It is obvious that we need to address the parenting issues but in the interim the CCB is charged with the protection of children in seriously abusive situations. That is their raison d’etre. A quick fix would not solve the problem for all the nation’s children but a quick fix sure would have saved this child. This one child mattered. They failed.
So, Bushie resorts to an age old trick when he has no point. The old “emotionally ranting female” trick. Guess his old cupboard is getting quite bare.
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Ha Ha some real good slaps up against uh head Bush sh.it and you deserve every one and for real good measure here is a kick in the arse from ac.hope it rupture yuh colon deputy dawg
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As an outsider looking in when it comes to certain things most bajans put the blinders on…, it is hard to come to grips on child abuse when a mother takes a 2×4 to her daughter and a hell of a lot of people thought that was okay. Bump a car in the car park and everybody close by is involved and has an opinion , don’t wear a shirt on the road no lack of interest and comments there but people living in dilapidated huts, elderly parents in need, children or women getting abused people are more than happy to pick up the pace and scoot by.
To throw Bushie a bone, it is very difficult to separate a child from a parent not emotionally but legally especially if they can come up with some reasonable excuse for their injuries . If they cant the parent should be in jail at the same time as the child is removed… battery is a crime . Part of the problem is training of police, when they are called to some kind of a domestic call they should have the training and where with all to realize something is not right and be required to call in child welfare and they themselves be required to do a follow up as part of their paperwork before they can close the case number even if child welfare’s level for removal is not met. When one agency passes the problem off to another with no required cross checking that is when kids fall through the cracks
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Lawson,
It is difficult but it is accomplished when deemed necessary. Life threatening abuse is not so difficult to prove.
That 2×4 episode on the child was appalling. The only person who should suffer that is Bushie. (Since he enjoys the idea of islandgal’s plank so much.)
So you feeling for Bushie and throwing him bones? Cuhdear. At least now he has a bone in his cupboard. But you couldn’t spare any meat?
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@ Lawson
Correct
But you done know that logic and women are mutually exclusive.
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This is a very difficult issue, it is far from black and white.
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Now you show your colours! A true male chauvinist! A relic from the past. Bushie doesn’t need your bones, Lawson. He is an old bag of dry ones.
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@ Donna
Did Bushie EVER deny being a male chauvinist? …or even a pig.. – for that matter?
Wuh if the Big Boss engineers that DESIGNED and BUILT the whole shiite designed it that way …and decreed that MEN were intended to take leadership roles PRECISELY because they were (originally) designed to be practical, logical, and WISE (as opposed to emotional, intuitive and confused) …who the donkey is Bushie to play that he is all for equality of the sexes …just because a few loud-mouthed women get upset…?
Frigg wunna do!! …. 🙂
You can’t even deal with the lotta sissy men bout the place (and hence has become a Nun)…how the donkey you can deal with Bushie’s whacker…..?
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Dem bones dem bones dem dry bones! lol I finished with the men because like you they were a waste of my time. Over and out old bag! I leave it to Jesus to raise the dead!
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And here we are in 2015. The men have been our leaders from time immemorial. They are practical, logical and wise. So it stands to REASON then that all is well.
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!
Wuhlaus, muh belly! Wuhlaus uh gun fall! Wuyieeeeee, ha, ha!
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As David says it is difficult, not all abuse is ill intentioned some is done out of love from a flawed thought process. When children have children they don’t have the grey matter to look after themselves let alone a child. . Single parents, child mothers. poverty, education it all plays apart. The finger pointing starts when one of these tragedies happen but this is just the end result of a pattern of indifference by society as a whole. Bushie in his younger days brandishing one of those old dry bones around hoping for nibble may have not knowingly even contributed to this problem. Having children when both parents are set in life both financially and emotionally proves to be difficult. So you can imagine if any factor is lacking it is human nature to take it out on the weakest.
Having girls can really change a guys attitude about life in a hurry LOL
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@ Donna
Nice one…
..but plot a relationship graph using the percentage of women in leadership globally as the ‘Y’ axis, and the increasing chaos in the world as the ‘X’ axis …and see what you get…
🙂
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Go farther back in history than the recent past and you will see that the world was in a greater mess than now when NO woman were allowed anywhere near the top of ANYTHING.
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I like women on top
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Margaret Thatcher. Angela Merkel. “emotional, intuitive and confused”? I don’t think so.
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Amm girls keep dem licks going in deputy dawg alias bush shit a.ss .listen ac in the gallery (front row if uh please)recording every lick ..like wuh i see so far.but be careful he already got. big head from ignorance don,t want to mek it no bigger. So try kicking the dputy in the balls where it really hurts and next time he would show more respect to the female Ha Ha. Ac got two more kicks fuh u deputy dawg right up yuh a.ss ole boar
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Lack of sleep telling. No woman was.
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Add Hilary Clinton to that list.
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BUSHITE I got a pack of xxl Depends fuh yuh rass! And ah got some iodine fuh yuh to put pon dem blows yuh get. Yuh even brek muh 2×4 so am off to the lumber yard. Teee heeee heeee. (y)
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Donna, you really allow Bushie to bait you like that and get into all the name calling palaver and emotive upsettment and ting.
You made his case for him..re emotion.
Not to say that any number of males here would not have done the same thing but alas he got you to go nuclear when generally you do not debate in that manner.
IslandGal has labelled herself as a ‘piece bad-word’ or words to the effect so we know she knows two stages of verbal battle: def-con 4 and nuclear.
You on the other hand got baldy baited by the Bushman to get into a foolish man v women debate!
re Parents and child care David said it well, very difficult issue.
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Not baited, De. I’m as cool as ever. Just having a bit of fun with Bushie. LOL. We do it all the time.
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I think we like to complicate matters too much. You are telling me that nothing could be done to save this child? Let’s shut the CCB down then if they’re so useless. Let’s put the money in Paredos.
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What happen, Bushie? Are you dusting off your history books? Don’t bother just check your Bible and see that it was a mess in Noah time too.
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@Dee Word
Bush Tea does all the time, especially when he is bored.
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Exactly. He likes the battle even better with a feisty woman. He calls it sweet cussing. Bushie doesn’t fool me. We have an understanding.
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Donna, a PAREDOS parenting class is required here…
In those classes do they tell all young parents, “now remember this is your first child so you have to get accustomed to have something else with you when you leave home. So don’t leave this cutie in the car when you get to the grocery store or don’t leave her in a your hot car when you take her into work with you and DEFINITELY don’t leave her on the flotation ting when you go sunbathing at the beach. But otherwise do enjoy and love your daughter.”
An example of Bushie’s stupid parent trick behavior, I presume.
The CCB equivalent should be in their backsides in a hurry.============
” This is the moment a 10-month-old baby girl drifted out to sea alone in a floatation device. Shocking video shows little Melda Ilgin floating almost a mile away from shore toward the Greek island of Lesbos in a yellow inflatable Friday.
The Turkish Coast Guard had to rescue the infant after her parents FORGOT her while sunbathing on a beach in Turkey’s northwestern province of Çanakkale, BGN News reported.
Beachgoers noticed the tot too late as strong winds carried her farther out into the deep blue, according to the news site.
The baby girl was unharmed and reunited with her family”
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/10-month-old-baby-drifts-sea-turkey-article-1.2280540
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@ Dee Word
…wait – wuh sorta man you is Boss…?
Six women and AC (A piece o’ C*** -rabbit) versus a lowly Bushman and all you could do is offer technical advice to the women on Bushie’s battle strategy…?
Mean yuh couldn’t have come in with a rod swinging…?
…or with some Kung fu moves…?
steupsss
@ St George Dragon said…
Margaret Thatcher. Angela Merkel. “emotional, intuitive and confused”? I don’t think so.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Bushie says “Margaret Thatcher. Angela Merkel. Hilary, Golda, Island Gal” …“WOMEN”?
Bushie don’t think so.
Ha ha ha LOL ohhh shiirt…
@ David
Can you kindly cease and desist from letting go all of Bushie’s secrets?
Hope you know that the same time you made it your business to meet Bushie ..the Bushman was making it his business to meet you… 🙂
@ Donna
Girl you TOO sweet…
Time to review that ‘No Man’ policy of yours. You are wasting precious time and emotion…
Just think of your volcanic emotional state when Bushie gets you all worked up…. intellectually of course…
@ Island Gal
Thanks for dumping the Bushman and opening up Donnagate … Looks like Donna outs you out…. so you and AC can play with the 4X4…
@ lawson
You like women on top…?
LOL … the last man with that philosophy had to run all the way to Arizona to escape AC…
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yes BT on top Asian and mute
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The family of Whitney Houston’s daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown, are up in arms, over the publication of some photos taken on her death bed and being offered for sale on the internet.
But there is a deafening silence concerning the photos now available on cell phones and the internet, of little 6 years old Jahan King , on his now death bed complete with injuries.
Like Boobi Kristina’s photos, who is /are responsible for taking the original photos. Its bad enough when accidents occur on our highways, and cameras become the First Priority , over First Aid. I am sure that none of us would like to see any of our relatives stretched out half naked and dead on a hospital bed or slab.
We are fast become a morbid set of people.
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Colonel Buggy,
I don’t see any of the morbid photographs you speak about ever but in this case I would like to see them. Not because I am morbid but because I would like to know the facts so I can hold the Authorities to account for the death of this child. The one photograph I saw brought me to tears and interrupted my sleep. I do not attribute negative motives to the persons posting these pictures. I believe it is outrage and a call to action that has prompted the circulation of the photographs of this sweet child.
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Bushie,
The no man policy was a rational decision. I realized that most men had no clue who I was and had no intention of putting any effort into finding out. They expected me to fit into the mould to which they were accustomed. A desperate female, afraid to stand alone, dreaming of a perfect wedding so much that she would accept anything so long as she could call herself Mrs. Somebody and parade and flash the ring around for all and sundry to see. I do not need to prove my ability to catch a man to society. I know my own worth and society may label me whatsoever they wish. I think less of society than society could ever think of me.
So Bushie, I rationally decided that men are more trouble than profit. I will not be distracted from my primary focus which is raising a son who knows how to have a successful life in the way God intended. A son who is an asset to the universe.
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So if a woman behaves in a manner which is unemotional and rational she is not a woman. If a woman behaves emotionally and irrationally then she is dismissed as having nothing of value to contribute to a discussion or a leadership position. So I guess the only place for her is way behind her domineering “LORD” with duct tape over her mouth unless she is Asian and naturally mute in which case she will be honoured by some with pride of place riding his……………!
So, if this is what you guys wish to teach my son no wonder I have to devote all my time to his education.
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So Donna what are you going to do when after all that effort you are putting into your son, he up and leaves you for a woman that becomes his primary focus. You should plan ahead and get a little kitten because when you (like must unattached women) become the crazy cat lady on the corner the transition wont be all that difficult.
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Lawson,
I will bask in the success of my accomplishment and turn my attention to many other causes and activities I had to give up. I intend to write more seriously than I have before. I intend to continue my education in Art so I can illustrate my own children’s books. I intend to return to working seriously with children in a volunteer capacity. I am actually licking my chops at the thought.
It is my intention that his wife should become his primary focus. It is my intention that he should become a good husband and a wonderful father. I’ve already had to convince him that his mummy will be fine when he leaves to pursue his life. I want him to enjoy all that God has provided for him with relish. I am looking forward to baking cookies with my grandchildren.
I have always enjoyed the company of children and they have always enjoyed mine. They forget how old I am and call me cool, even my son. I have been told by many that my purpose in life is to serve the children. This I will do until the day I die. Happily!
Too much to do, too little time!
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Oh,
And I have always enjoyed the company of dogs. We have great conversations and I’ve never been seriously threatened by one. And they are very appreciative creatures. (Unlike you guys.) And I’m already crazy by Barbadian standards. So I’ll probably be the crazy old lady with about five dogs. Pure bliss!
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After watching what is going on in America….what if your sons wife has a dick
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The CCB for the first time admits to being contacted about Shamar Weekes about two years ago. Great job, folks!
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Lawson,
You are reaching here, anticipating things that, after all, happen only in a small minority of cases. My son appears to enjoy all the stuff boys enjoy – all the stuff that bores me to tears. But he will make his choice and I will live with it.
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CCB reports removing no less than thirteen children from abusive situation this week. Looks like the bone Lawson threw to Bushie just disintegrated. Not easy to separate a child from his parents, you say? What has changed between two weeks ago and now? The number of staff or the protocol? Neither. The attitude is all that has changed!
Whether there was abuse of Shamar or Jahan will be determined in a court of law. I have my opinions but I could be wrong. However, I thank God that the CCB is finally doing its job!
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Results in! Blunt force trauma involved in the death of Jahan King. Boy, how I wish I had been wrong about this!
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