BU and many Barbadians are familiar with the website called Naked Departure run by Veronica S. Cutting. Our question: has Naked Departure crossed the line?
There is no doubt Cutting’s website has caused Barbadians to pay attention, mainly because of a high salacious content. The BU household has been quietly observing the rise of Naked Departure and we have resisted, until now, publicly commenting on the website. There is the popular saying to whom much is given much is expected. Given the explosion of the social media it has provided ordinary citizens with the platform to promulgate opinions that can be read by untold numbers across the globe in just seconds. BU do what we do because we love Barbados and although we will get our keyboards dirty from time to time, we try our level best to minimize collateral damage to the innocent. For example, when we have to call names we are usually sure we have gotten it right. In the odd case we have gotten it wrong we were quick to retrieve the situation and extend an apology. This approach has worked well for us for the last 9 years and is reflected in the quality of participation on the blog.
Although some stories posted on Naked Departure are true we are aware that many are not. The policy of Naked Departure appears to be one of posting all messages and videos received and deal with the fallout when it comes. The BU household believes Sherri and Naked Departure have a lot in common. One common factor is that from behind our dashboards we see and smell the stench that exist away from the nostrils of an unsuspecting public. And it makes us so damn angry that we are driven to want to do something to make a difference. Perhaps where our philosophy and approach differ is that the BU household understands social media tools must not be used to intentionally harm the innocent.
To answer the question posed above: has Ms Sherri Cutting gone too far? We respectfully say that she has.
Let us constructively review a few recent postings on Naked Departure to build a case.
“Kaneisha Taylor’s Mother, Kerryann, is a Whore” – photo of a child under the age of 18, which, without the consent of both parents, is illegal in most countries.
“ADRIEL BRATHWAITE, a Banker is turning Windmill Hot Sauce into Cocaine in Canada, USA, UK”. If someone is manufacturing cocaine out of hot sauce in Canada and the USA, it is outside of Adriel’s jurisdiction. Instead of tipping off the people who are alleged to be are carrying out this criminal enterprise, Sherri ought to have reported her concerns to the relevant law enforcement authorities in the USA and Canada.
“Carl Moore of Nation News Barbados vs. The Naked Truth”. Sherri and Naked Departure describes the Nation News as, “the bordello of a cesspool”. Sherri shares what constitutes truth in defamation, “The TRUTH CANNOT BE DISPROVED!” Surely what must be considered is that the truth needs to be proved first.
“The Abed’s Made Their Money from Slavery”. Sherri alleges that they employed university students at below minimum wage to work on their various projects. There is no supporting documentation for the allegation that Abed paid below minimum wages and surely the concept of no concept of “slavery” does not apply in this case.
It is not the motive of BU to be malicious in our critique of Naked Departure. However, we believe Sherri and crew should appreciate that our feedback is heartfelt. Respect and integrity must be earned based on actions and behaviours displayed over time. Blindly damaging the reputations of innocent people is not fair. There is still the opportunity for Naked Departure, Barbados Underground and other social media sites to highlight and report injustices and provide a voice for those who otherwise would have none.
To whom much is given much is expected.
Sherri, please hear our cry!
The blogmaster invites you to join and add value to the discussion.