There is an inevitability to the predictability.
In 1989 Red Plastic Bag won the Pic O De Crop final with De Country En Well.
The blogmaster posted a blog on May 03, 2007 titled Our Nation Is Crying.
The rise of violent crime in Barbados is responsible for 20 recorded murders at the time of posting this blog [23 March 2019]. It does not surprise the blogmaster and some members of the BU family, we have been warning about the weeds sprouting on what use to be manicured lawns. In response BU was branded a doomsayer blog.
Barbados Underground has posted prolifically about a dysfunctional court system. We heard from the authorities that both parties involved in Thursday’s ‘high noon’ execution were on bail.
Barbados Underground has posted about implementing an efficient transportation system. Almost four decades later we have seen a sub culture take deep root. The result has been a paralysing sub culture as we are witnessing daily on our highways, byways AND in society at large.
The blogmaster has also written about the need to implement a relevant waste disposal system. Do we know what will happen next?
What we have is a society comfortable in absorbing a way of life from lands across the seas brought closer by how the global village is now constructed. There is the tension between secular and non secular and the vacuum left by a non adherence to traditional values anchored in religious dogma, ease of travel for leisure and study, access to the Internet and television, music are commingling to produce an intoxicating effect on a small open society. It must be said that Barbados is not alone in the fight.
The blogmaster over the years has been a harsh critic of our growing middleclass – satisfied with acquiring paper trophies, the house, car and frequent vacations to Disney – have retreated from a moral obligation to sustain a quality society. There is a good reason education has been allocated significant resources by successive governments. What is the ROI for education since 1966?
There is something wrong about a society consumed with discussing crime on a day OUR elected representatives in Parliament were debating the ‘2019 Budget’ and our leaders of the future were expressing themselves in athletic competition.
It was widely reported that President Duterte of the Philippines condoned the execution of 30 drug dealers by security forces within four days of taking office. He ran a campaign on a promise to execute known criminals and urged his supporters to kill drug traffickers and dump the bodies on the street.
It is evident that organic change is not possible by adopting traditional approaches in Barbados. One of the most depressing aspects to what is occurring today is to listen to our leaders respond with the usual uninspiring words with that deer in headlights look.
If Barbados is to excoriate the crime infection, we must be prepared to amputate the affected parts. Heavy emphasis on targeting the blocks or certain schools will not be enough. Those perpetrating violent crimes are the victims of a dysfunctional system. How is it possible for the Port Authority to have non functioning scanners for lengthy periods? Members of parliament moaning about the problem because it has struck close to home will not be enough. To the politicians and supporters on all sides: we have countries in the regions to observe how crime feeds on a country polarized by partisan politics.
The blogmaster is not championing Duterte approaches to solving our problems which are most extreme for our culture. However, we should be able to agree that ‘shock’ interventions are required to arrest the decline in our society complemented with longer term strategies. The interventions must be swift and sustained from the leaders in the political and social spaces.
- 24 hour courts (encourage retirees to volunteer)
- On the spot fines (impound vehicles on the spot)
- Child Care and other Welfare Services must be empowered to intervene swiftly in troubled households.
- Random stop and searches (request citizens being searched to record the activity to force transparency, suggestion?)
- Legislate car pooling hours between 6AM to 8AM and 4PM to 6PM – minimum loads), legislate taxi rates in the time periods
- Minister of Education Bradshaw, we need to discuss and implement the reforms promised to how we educate our people as a matter of priority.
- add to the suggestions, non linear only!
Of course Barbadians will protest, it is what we do. However if we want real change to occur, different approaches are now required.
There is an inevitability to the predictability.
The blogmaster invites you to join the discussion.