The author’s name withheld at the discretion of the Blogmaster – David
Man makes plans not knowing the plans God has already made or how he will bring his plans to pass. Six things have occurred recently in Barbados that may change the path of our trajectory.
With the deadline for the Trident ID being April 1st there has been an increase in anxiety in the general population.
With a background in gun violence during the past decade, suddenly, the gangs have made a truce and all the deaths by gun fire have stopped.
Then a week ago, some of the former wards of the Girl’s Industrial School won their case and the wandering laws under which they were institutionalized were deemed unconstitutional and struck off the law books.
The very next day, the country learnt that the government had passed the Barbados Identification Act two years earlier in 2021 to restrict freedoms and the ability to vote by citizens. In essence, it appears as though the wandering laws had been replaced by a plantation pass (Trident ID card) proving that plantation slavery is alive and well in Barbados.
This week, the people of St Joseph took the developer for a tourism project and the Prime Minister(she is the Minister responsible for approving Planning Permissions) to court for infringement of their constitutional rights.
Ultimately what appeared on social media this morning, whether true or not, that the government is about to restrict citizens use of social media by amending the Computer Misuse Act, has sent the population into panic mode.
While it appears that the gang truce has no correlation to the rest of the equation, it may change its outcome. There may be no docile acceptance of the Barbados Identity Act and the Trident ID card.
It appears that the island is in the midst of change. There is a struggle for power but how far are the people willing to push back? The stars are lining up. It is only when the formation has stopped that the constellation is revealed.
If the above are the plans of this Administration as they are, except the ending of the gun violence, it was a timely act by God not only in his own time, but it can put a spoke in the plans of government. It can change everything that this Administration has planned. This Administration has never been confronted with a group of people who have shown a lack of conformity for decades. This is where this scenario gets interesting.
The government was unsuccessful in its quest or lack thereof to make a dent in gun related deaths since they came to power in 2018. It is a fact that members of gangs in Barbados have stopped killing each other and this underground economy did it all on their own without the involvement of government. The government cannot take credit and therefore, these gang members are not beholden to the government. One wonders what else they can achieve. If this truce holds, perhaps they can become a great asset to Barbadians but currently, they do not know or understand the power that they now possess.
One recalls that the most docile slaves were taken off the slave ships in Barbados which was the first port of call in the Caribbean. By the time the ships reached Haiti or Jamaica only the most militant were left of board. In essence, docility is inbred in Barbadians; passed down by their forefathers who had nowhere to run.
However, several decades of social and economic decline and the development of the drug trade has bred some lawless, hostile, and militant creatures that were bent on self-destruction up until a few weeks ago. Now that their thoughts have shifted from killing each other, and their minds are now clear, they have time on their hands to focus on the problems that have engulfed this entire island.
Crime, though serious, served as a distraction from the other major problems of the island. Some will now realize that the true enemy is the system and not a rival gang member. Reality will set in, and more than likely they will have a need to redefine their boundaries and truths.
Perhaps this is what we really need to change Barbados, not talkers but doers; people who are accustomed to standing up and can therefore stand up for the rest of the population. These people are not the general population, they do not fit into that mold. They are fearless and resistant, not docile. With time now on their hands, there is an opportunity for this group to become useful for the good of the country.
If the right leader can be found to bring change to these minds and shift it from its narrow focus to the transformation of the social environment of Barbados, their action will be seen and felt across this island. They have an opportunity to stand up and stop a game. However, it is not only these but the 3,000 plus persons that the government will be letting go at month end.
Living in a society where government overreach has become overbearing and with the implication of the new identity Act leading to further marginalization of the working-class population, some will believe that their very existence is being threatened and openly oppose their political masters.
Those who are tired of talking and nothing changes must now ask yourselves, what if the actions of this group of fearless young men can be a stimulus for positive change to this island?
No one knows what aggressions may occur. If the government does not retreat, one may conclude that by its own actions, it has placed itself on notice. For the conclusion, one must await the formation of the Constellation.
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