Fighting the Covid 19 disease continues to soak up scarce financial and human resources in small Barbados. We should not forget before the pandemic impacted the globe, Barbados was struggling with managing the economy among other challenges. One of the other challenges is still with us – rising gun crime.
We learned recently of a shipment of at least 30 guns unlawfully exported to Barbados from the Georgia, USA. The blogmaster is willing to suggest the discovery of that shipment represents a ‘tip of the iceberg’ scenario if we assume managing our borders may not be done as efficiently as outlined in the text book. Unfortunately all issues in Barbados are distilled through political lens. It does not matter the political administration holding office, the problem of gun violence continues to rise. It seems we are helpless to solve it in much the same way we have been unable to fix the roads, bring order to the PSV sector, address perennial concerns of the Auditor General, produce audited financial statements of National Insurance Fund, waste to energy solutions/garbage solutions, discover alternative export income streams, make the public service fit for purpose, revamp health and education …
Social commentator Kammie Holder recently reminded us in a jingle – we are all in this together and it is important to say something if you see something. The blogmaster is not overly optimistic economic and Covid weary Barbadians are so minded .
I was shocked to learn that the three prominent named carriers were accused of being the vehicles used for the transportation of guns and ammunition into Barbados. Why? Well for as long as I can remember every package, large or small, received by me were opened, inspected and resealed by customs. This includes, up to yesterday, an item ordered online from Amazon.com and packed into a box measuring 3.5×6.5×1.5 inches. It was opened on both ends and resealed. Maybe they were looking for 12 AK-47’s , 1,000 rounds of ammunition, night vision glasses, a silencer and telescope. As I said, this happens without fail and all shipments have been from reputable companies, not from some hob knob or unknown and untraceable personal address. OR, are packages known not to contravene the laws of Barbados the only ones to be inspected to prove that someone is doing their job?
Time has long since gone when security cameras must be placed in critical areas of the airport, seaport and marinas!
@FearPlay
Your comment makes one pause to ask how deep does this go. The level of complicit behaviour appears to be mind boggling .
Forget the notion this many guns are getting into the island unnoticed.
Impossible, people in the right places are simply paid to look the other way. Just follow the money
Barbadians are caught up in the latest 9 day wonder anyway, who care about guns with all the drama bending stuff going on!
Thank you David for showing what Corporate Social Responsibility is about. I note with interest the selfishness of most companies who see their only role as to sponsor fetes but have not seen the same public show of support in helping the public in mitigating the fallout. #Shameful, where are the Simpson, Massy, Digicel, Flow, EMERA, Courtesy, Nassco, Insurance companies, Banks Brewery, Banks, Credit Unions etc.
Really thought that companies and institutions in Barbados would have collectively set up a fund to offset vaccine cost for the masses who they depend on.
The bells and whistles are there.
So too is an on/off switch
@David, a talk show host friend said to me Bajans only care about salacious gossip but not the things that disturb their wellbeing.
It is suggested we call it the #DeadDogSyndrome for a dog is killed outside your home. You ignore the roadkill, only when it starts to smell, it bothers who you, then you expect, the taxpayers to remove it.
@Kammie
We have become shallow, social media of which BU is a part has significantly contributed to the dumming down as well.
This Bajan does not engage in salacious gossip.
This Bajan knows that it is not poor people who can afford to bring in guns and drugs.
This Bajan knows that Barbados is too small for the police to be ignorant as to who is responsible.
Therefore, this Bajan assumes that the “powers that be” are also well aware.
What else should a reasonable person then assume?
“Your comment makes one pause to ask how deep does this go. The level of complicit behaviour appears to be mind boggling”
Now you are catching on. Why change is so difficult. It isn’t about rearranging the apples, it involves skinning over the whole fruit cart.
The Bajans in power is selling the home land out. Give the essential workers a drug test randomly. Check the bank accounts to all workers who are in the position to inspect and even the bag handlers at the port of entry. Check the phone chats. You must also check the Millionaires who are from a different Country or Island and the people who were expelled from a foreign country back to Barbados.. I could definitely show my fellow country men how to do this. It’s not rocket science..
Source: Nation
The flow of guns into Barbados and a relatively high murder rate is a recent phenomenon. Bajan on a whole are a peaceful people,therefore, the question is : Why is this happening? What has caused us to engage in this kind of self-destructive behaviour of late? A robust academic study by criminal anthropologist, Dr H. Gayle is needed to get at the root of this recent trend.
Jamaica’s gun violence and murders started in 70s over politics which then exploded into a full blown political turf war. Those grudges carried over when people from those warring neighborhoods migrated to the USA. They were the main culprits sending back guns to Jamaica to maintain the status quo. And though jamaican criminals have moved on from politics, the country has never recovered from its violent past.
Barbados history has nothing resembling jamaica turbulent past, however, we are on a path of a similar destructive trend.
@fortyacresandamule
It seems the gansta culture is with us, probably triggered by drug related, music etc. should we now be doing studies ?
@David. Yes we should. At this early juncture, a comprehensive evidence-based research is needed to get a clear and bigger picture of what is happening on the ground. Anectodal evidence while useful , is not good enough. Flyihg blind on this issue is not an option.
We have added the dynamic of freedom of movement in the CSME region.
Another study?
A Commission of Inquiry.
You hire the faithful to go around for a year “speaking wid de peeple”, plus hearings, and report back in a non-binding report which is 600+ pages, with 120 recommendations.
@David. That’s a very good point.
@Donna. Yep. Call me stupid, but I am very curious about this subject matter at a very deep level. Dr Gayle did a very comprehensive ground breaking study on this matter in Belize some years ago. It was an eye opener for the government policy makers.
Violent crimes spread just like a disease in a society, and once become entrenched, it becomes next to impossible to eradicate.