Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley signalled to the Nation she is in favour of removing Nelson statue BUT a national conversation should be a prerequisite. The Prime Minister maybe of the mind we need to seize the opportunity – given to us with the rise of #BLM – to bring as many Barbadians to…
Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley signalled to the Nation she is in favour of removing Nelson statue BUT a national conversation should be a prerequisite. The Prime Minister maybe of the mind we need to seize the opportunity – given to us with the rise of #BLM – to bring as many Barbadians to the same place in thought to what it means to remove a colonial symbol offensively planted in Heroes Square in 2020. Surprisingly a significant number of Barbadians could care less if Nelson statue is moved. The sentiment by this group is captured in the mouthing of Minister of Tourism Kerri Symmonds delivered in Parliament last week –
I am now at an age and stage in life where I am not interested in the optics. You could pull down a thousand statues and it will fill nobody’s belly. I am interested in filling people’s bellies, I am interested in making sure that people have comfort when they sleep at night, that their children have satisfaction that they are going to inherit something in the land of their birth, and until we come to that point we are having an artificial debate…
So let us come to the point where we are dealing with the substance. Psychologically, it might make things better in terms of the optics, it may make people feel there has been an achievement. That can be debated. I am neither for nor against quite frankly, but my feeling is that we cannot take our eyes off that ball called substance. That substance is how do we economically empower the working class people of Barbados so that they and their sons and daughters can be those people who are the guardians of the commanding heights of this country’s economy…
Minister of Tourism and International Transport Kerrie Symmonds
Symmonds’ infantile statement was balanced by a more relevant position shared by the Barbados Private Sector Association headed ironically by White Barbadian Edward Clarke. For a long time Black Barbadians have come to accept that although in the majority the economic power on the island resides with a small group in Barbados. Back in the day former Minister of Labour Don Blackman coined the term “White Shadows”. Up to now the White Shadows group or to use a more euphemistic reference- power elite, have been happy for Barbados to wear the label of being a crypto racist society. Who wants to rock the boat if the waters are deep and choppy? It is only the ignorant and dishonest who will not acknowledge that White privilege has its origin in a colonial past that gave birth to today’s ‘establishment’. The work of building an equitable society continues and it must start with addressing embedded biases nurtured in the minds of our people for centuries. BOTH Black and White.
The blogmaster is of the view the national conversation, if it materializes, must be had in this context.
See statement from the Barbados Private Sector Association:
Barbados Private Sector Association: Moving Forward Together
Added 29 June 2020
Chairman of the Barbados Private Sector Association Edward Clarke (FILE)
“The members of the Barbados Private Sector Association (BPSA) continue to be engaged together with other Social Partners in the process of rebuilding our economy and society following the Covid-19 pandemic’s significant impact. At the same time, the BPSA too is cognizant of the present global, social and economic realities which could impact our small developing nation’s ability to achieve “the future we want”, for all citizens and residents and the generations to come.
“Given the need and opportunity for us to ‘reconstruct and rebuild’ nationally, occurring at this time of global conversation on racial tensions and inequities, attention must also include a focus on imbalances that currently exist in our country. It is therefore timely, and necessary, to honestly look at the society we live in with a view to progressing Barbados to become a model of inclusiveness, diversity and equality of access for all. Undoubtedly, this process must necessarily include discussion on racial division and economic enfranchisement in Barbados.
“BPSA recognises the benefit of consultation and dialogue and regards these as being critical if any meaningful positive national change is to be achieved. More importantly, such consultation and dialogue must be of a calibre to develop an implementable plan to address, with success, the issues including any inequalities and inequities. It is anticipated that such a plan would be underpinned with a commitment from all stakeholders to be part of the change process.
“We also signal BPSA’s support for the removal to a more suitable environment the statue of Lord Nelson which was erected on March 22, 1813 to commemorate the anniversary of the British Royal Navy’s victory in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Indeed, the renaming of Trafalgar Square to Heroes Square renders the current positioning of Lord Nelson, overlooking the seat of our National Heroes, incongruous.
“BPSA stands ready not only to be engaged in the dialogue but also for each of us to introspect and to answer all well formulated, collective calls to action drafted with the input of every voice of our nation.
“We therefore call for discussion and engagement on these matters of national concern with a view to agreeing specific and tangible actions, as collectively, we journey to achieve ‘One Barbados’.” (PR)
I am not a lawyer
I read Section 44 of thePlanning and Development Bill and the proposed amendment. The amendment is more detailed, but it seems (to me) as if it is not a clear read. A search for “simple building” revealed four instances and I came away with the impression that a smart clerk/staff could easily find a way to void what was stated for simple buildings..
Not that this amendment places new limitations on the sizeof simple buildings. (232.5 square metres ~2500 square feet)
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WURA-War-on-U
lawd me gawd, how come the big mouth fowls are not tell us about this:
“WOOD QUITS
Ex-Minster walks away from BLP.
‘citing the party’s failure to honor campaign pledges from the 2018 general election as a source of great disappointment and embarrassment” (he sure got that one right)
and this:
“he told the SundaySun…(i take it that’s today’s paper….but what do i know) …he said “at this stage i want to sensitize the public on what has or has not happened relative to what we had committed ourselves to doing via the social contract as contained in the manifesto. because there are some SPECIFIC items there that are TIME-BOUND and they have not been addressed. So, they are a source of real discomfort and, really, a source of embarrassment for me because i woud have been on the political platform speaking quite eloquently about the need to address the stamping out of CORRUPTION in public life and in public office in Barbados in a very decisive way…”
PIece, Miller, Theo, TSLN, Donna…wuhloss…
alyuh can never say now that we are lying and making it up, it’s out there for the whole world to see, straight out of BLP camp….corruption is a living breathing thing in that parliament, in the judiciary and everywhere else you can find those who practice those crimes against people and country..
we done know they will pretend none of this was said…
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Tron
We should take the Jewish World Congress as a model for the reparation for slavery. We need a kind of “Caribbean Claims Conference” where lawyers mercilessly enforce compensation from states, companies and heirs of the plantation owners.
To do this, however, we would have to boycott Great Britain and British companies because they are mainly responsible for slavery in Barbados. However, I do not yet see how we can reconcile this with British tourism on the island …
You lot cannot stay focused on discussion one item for five minutes.
Hopeless
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WURA-War-on-U
Wait a minute…was it not just last week Mia created one set of strife in Guyana, she knew all the people’s business and nearly caused a racial backlash….but never mentioned anything about the exposed corruption in Barbados by one of her own……and the fowls, the fowls…where are they..
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Hal Austin
@ Tron
Park reparations to one side. When we talk about individual and institutional racism in the UK, and of police brutality, then we find the tourism authorities in our home countries queuing up asking these very people to come to Barbados and send their money living it up.
Do they think once they get on a plane for a seven-hour flight that they will change their opinions about black people? It is a contradiction we have to deal with.
To some of us, it looks as if Bajans would sell off their folks in the UK (Canada and US) for a few dollars. It was ever thus.
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TheOgazerts
Advice for Mia
It is obvious that the administration understanding of the new media stops at political campaigning. They seem to believe that the can continue in the same high handed manner as in previous years and are then forced to change plans when there is a clamor on new media.
I would also suggest that the administration widens the group from which it seeks advice. Include more than “yes men” in your group of advisors. They say “two heads are better than one” but “yes men”, no matter how many, use just one brain. They are an echo chamber. Abandon the “yes men” and at the same and dump those who came from the court of Marie Antoinette as they are out of touch with the common man.
Blogmaster…we are waiting for the minority racists and thieves to come out and explain themselves, hold a nice panel discussion on systemic and generational racism and apartheid since they are all such experts……… and also why they robbed the Black population for over 40 years….and who helped them…lol
Hal you really dont understand tourism from your comment. Tourism is foreign aid with an upside, have you ever wondered why when the countries drop of the big containers nobody ever gets a life jacket. think about it
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Hal Austin
@ Lawson
I have been a tourist in Glasgow and Edinburgh. What I like about tourists is that they could not give two hoops about conditions in the country. Brits went to Spain under Franco, Greece under the generals and many even go to China.
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TLSN
@ Hal,
You see what is happening in Leicester, a city famous for having a majority Asian population. It has become the first UK city to go back into lockdown. Check the link below. You can’t say that we have not warned Barbadians concerning the practises of certain minority groups within the UK.
Everyday I sit and watch them ignoring the social distance instructions. Neighbours have had families and friends visiting, many ignore facial masks and my neighbours love take-away food. I am not surprised.
The trouble is that a lot of people think we are alarmists for simply telling them our everyday experiences in Britain. By the way, back in the 1960s/70s the majority immigrant community were people from the Caribbean, mainly Barbadians. Those numbers in Leicester just grew suddenly.
A long time ago I applied for and was offered a job as a chief reporter on a local paper in Leicestershire. But the idea of living and working in a coal mining community terrified me.
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Cuhdear Bajan
@WURA-War-on-UJuly 5, 2020 11:33 AM “lawd me gawd, how come the big mouth fowls are not tell us about this”
No need to tell. It is on the front page of today’s Sunday Sun.
Anything which appears on the front page of the highest circulation paper is NOT a secret.
And as the old people used to say “tongue and teet’ does disagree”
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WURA-War-on-U
Lol…Cuddear..
well i for one agree that the racist thieves aka private sector should indeed pay to remove their racist piece of stone since they are the ones helped their house negros LEAVE IT THERE …over 20 years after the decision was made to move the cursed thing, that is why am so glad that because of nelson and their arrogant decision to act like the majority population don’t count, have no say in any decision making about THEIR OWN BUSINESS, THEIR OWN MONEY etc……they are all now being EXPOSED…wuhloss….turning the statue around instead of taking it down, cost the taxpayer to pay 1.5 million dollars, hope removing it costs them 50 times that…damn no good crooks the whole lot of them..ah hope the parliament rats all know that the whole world knows how vicious and hateful they are of their own people…so let them keep delaying while trying to keep that thing up there on a pedestal for another 20 years.
They are so famous they can take the thing’s place on that pedestal so the people will find it easier to stone them all.
“Barbados’ political leaders are being challenged by a former ambassador to “do the right thing” and move the statue of Lord Nelson from “loitering in Heroes Square” instead of waiting for yet another extended discussion on the controversial monument.
Reverend Guy Hewitt, who served as High Commissioner to the United Kingdom from 2014 to 2018 and played an instrumental role in the fight against the 2016 Windrush scandal also believes that “open-minded” private sector entities should bear the economic burden of moving it.”
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WURA-War-on-U
That is what they do, the politicians and leaders in the Caribbean are no damn good, they never miss an opportunity to show how anti-black they are…never miss an opportunity to show their disdain for the people who elect them and pay their salaries, never miss an opportunity to show contempt for Black Caribbean people whom they FORCE to leave the island to search for better opportunities in the Diaspora…people who look just like them and without whom they would be nothing but beggars robbing their clients and the elderly as mostly lawyers, time for the majority populations in the Caribbean to take a stand against their ENEMIES…their black face leaders..and they got the international laws with which to do just that…
“In an interview with Barbados TODAY the religious leader expressed disappointment with the “silence” of Caribbean governments amid the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement in the same way they neglected members of the diaspora who were facing deportation, unemployment and isolation from British social services, in 2016.”
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Cuhdear Bajan
But WARU you know don’t you that the good Rev. is widely regarded as a “D”,so tek tings with a grain of salt ya hear.
This is our problem, we find a way to make everything about the politics and politicians.
Very myopic.
>
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WURA-War-on-U
Cuddear…after all these years you know i don’t do the D and B thing, both crooks, both evil, both sell out governments filled with the criminal class of house negros…..who RELISH selling out their own people for financial gain…
Look how Mia got caught lying, she knows her only intent is to keep the racist, apartheid slave society going to enable and condone those crimes against her people to appease the minority criminal class so that they can continue to all feel special…that is the bottomline, but at least no one is buying her barrel of lies…..she successfully outlied herself.
What Hewitt is not realizing, that it’s the same black faces in the parliament are the ones causing the economic disenfranchisement of the majority……the money belongs to the people and not the minorities but both governments have for years IGNORED THAT REALITY…and continue to let criminals control the legislature the treasury and the pension fund so they can all feel superior to the people to whom everything belongs, because they benefit too…
…”avenues for economic enfranchisement continu to be a challenge for most citizens who are not part of “a white minority” whose legacy is steeped in the colonial society that Lord Nelson’s statue embodies.
While addressing the issue last month, the Prime Minister said that a decision on the monument would only be made after consultation with Barbadians, although extensive discussions were already facilitated under a previous BLP-administration.
( i was so happy to produce the nelson committe document and PROVE HER A VERY, VERY DANGEROUS LIAR..she always knew that a decision had already been made to move it over 20 years ago, both her and Comissioing…they are just plain goddamn evil, the both of them.)
Hewitt disagreed with the notion of further public dialogue and instead challenged the Government to use its overwhelming legislative and executive power to prevent Lord Nelson from “loitering in Heroes Square well after our 50th anniversary of independence”
these nobodies don’t even be afraid when they open their filthy mouths and twist it into another unnecessary lie their tongues don’t just fall out of their evil heads…
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Cuhdear Bajan
Evict Nelson from our Heroes Square. Replace him with a statue of our Rihanna. It is long past time that we have a FEMALE statue. We women have always had to work so damn hard in this place. Heroic work really. We deserve our own statue. Rihanna should please both black and white Bajans since she Bajan and both black and white. I think that everybody will agree that she is also a prettier and much more photogenic than scruffy old Nelson. With her permission rename the area Rihanna Square. Expand Queen’s Park and put all the national hero statues there and rename it Heroes Park. Leave Sir Gary at Kensington since he is already ideally situated and/or commission a new statue of him for Heroes Park.
Auction old Nelson. Since so many people seem to love him I am sure that they would not object to paying a few million for him. I would start the auction at $1 million USD. The new owner would have to place him on their own private property within Barbados, so that those who love him so much can continue to easily visit him, Let them put their money where their mouth is.
ALL English and Anglophile tourists welcome. Let them pay $20 USD or the equivalent in pounds to visit and take selfies with him. Sell some food and drink. Make a profit offa the deal.
Tell the truth now. Would you rather take a selfie with a statue of Nelson or with a statue of Rihanna?
I have a strong feeling which statue most people would prefer.
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Cuhdear Bajan
@David July 5, 2020 3:39 PM “This is our problem, we find a way to make everything about the politics and politicians. Very myopic.
Cuh dear David man. You know very well that I am completely non partisan. I change my vote about as often as decent people change their underwear.
And as a good Anglican you know that i am commanded to love the Rev.
I take it this is what the crooks and liars in Barbados are dribbling and drooling for, something that does not belong to them as, usual…..to see what they all can tief, especially the minority criminal class….but if you listen carefully to this clip…it specifically says…that the PEOPLE IN THE CARIBBEAN SHOULD BE IN ON ANY REPARATIONS NEGOTIATIONS…do not let lying commissiong or any of the other deceitful ones tell you any different….make sure you are present.
….it said nothing about minorities descended from UKs rejects.. being in on any reparations negotiations and no one on the island wants them involved anyway, they are not descended in any form or fashion from African slaves, am sure many of those frauds will suddenly begin to pretend that they are….after practicing racism for decades on end.
BTW…that piece of shit brit who is trying to make all the excuses in the world, is a lowlife liar, there are some very wealthy people to be found in some areas of West Africa…..just like ya find a bunch of poor ass brits in many areas of UK…he think he can define “better off” for the descendants of slaves, ignornt people like him need to be put very firmly in their place and as for that slavemaster spawn Cameron, Jamaica did not know how to tell him off.
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Piece the Prophet
So Edward Clarke of the Barbados Private Sector Association kill of all the move Nelson, and disband racist Barbados and empowerment of the 95% black population WID HE ONE RH LETTER?
Jes so?
We really is RH slaves in truth!
And like dem two white cops said, we want killing like how dem kill Floyd
Forever RH slaves!
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WURA-War-on-U
Piece…i did not even read that shite letter, i find them so insignificant and repulsive living off the Black population as they have done for decades, that i scroll right past anything they put out there…none of it even sounds natural, they have to put their heads together as fellow crooks to come up with that useless basic shite…using their template of pretend superiority and backward racists practices that they believe everyone Nlack on the island is blind to and don’t know how to tell them they are full of shit….
Black Bajans …THE MAJORITY POPULATION…need to stay the hell away from these minoirty THIEVES and LIARS…. and build their own businesses, the sell outs in the parliament can go to hell, so can Clarke with his lies and misdirection……shut these parasitic minority businesses down once and for all, shut down the private social partnership of FRAUD, CORRUPTION, THEFTS OF BLACK PEOPLE’S PROPERITES AND MONEY, RACISM etc……..Clarke did not shut down anything, the population understands what is going on, they know they have to withhold their purchasing power that THEY CONTROL and shut them all to hell down, let them see WHO THE ISLAND IS REALLY FUNDED BY….
Mia cannot tell anyone who to shop with…if the black face sell outs try as is the norm to stop the majority from creating their own wealth, stop them from building their own businesses, stop them from progressing…..then SHOW HER WHO IS BOSS TOO AND WHO FUNDS THE ISLAND….and pay her salary…that evil shit these no good black people calling themselves leaders having been doing for decades on end to their own people….MUST BE STOPPED IN ITS TRACKS….
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WURA-War-on-U
Piece…i will repost what lying Comissiong wrote right along with the nelson Committee Report THAT THEY ROBBED TAXPAYERS TO PAY FOR… and which they all ignored for over 20 years……where they agreed to remove that ugly statue ……as long as they continue to try to keep it there…
even if i have to repost it over and over for the next 2 years and 11 months, leading up to elections……am sure they will be more than happy to read it every week until election day……
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WURA-War-on-U
Piece…we got this, because you don’t see everything on BU, does not mean it’s not happening….we have been out here for years on end…watch muh nuh…
so what happened to the fowls….did they RUN AWAY AGAIN….Woods set them all straight didn’t he..lol
now the world can watch it all unfold….no dog bites ya HARDER than ya own…lol
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WURA-War-on-U
Look…they got a deadline, August 1st….personally i would like them to play hardball so i can make them miserable with that nelson removal committee report and Comissiong’s outright lies….the private sector has only ONE intent…TIEFING FROM BLACK PEOPLE…
The blogmaster invites you to join the discussion.