By Wade Gibbons
Has anyone noticed that this escalation in gun violence and crime has basically evolved after reputed drug lords smilingly waved their signed invitations to the public, at the Parliamentary swearing-in ceremony of the government in 2018? Their demonstrated delight suggested that they believed the government had their backs. It has been gay abandon in the underworld and mayhem in civil society since then, with armed thugs feeling emboldened and empowered, and doing as they please, even in broad daylight.
“Give we de money and de guns and watch we” is arguably the new mantra of deviants today.
Barbados should be a relatively easy place to police. If one walks too far in any direction, one will likely end up in the sea after passing several familiar faces. The police must reclaim the streets. The constant daylight carnage suggests criminal elements no longer consider the police a significant enough threat to stop them from carrying out their dastardly deeds. There is de jure leadership of the Barbados Police Service. But there is a perception among many in and outside the organization that after engineered supersession, de facto leadership is calling significant, unwanted internal shots (no pun intended). That a civilian can announce the formation of a police unit does nothing to quell that belief. Consistent, intelligent, robust policing, unhindered by political agenda and novices, is required if the current insanity on the streets is to be curtailed.
But rather than fortify systems to put violent, anti-social, unrepentant fiends behind bars or under the earth, the government has coddled them with its ill-conceived ‘piece’ programme. There is nothing wrong with investing in initiatives to increase opportunities for young people. But if you channel millions of dollars into the path of drug dealers and their violent spawn, what do you expect them to buy? Laptops – to start community projects? Fertilizer and seed – to switch to agriculture? If I am a drug dealer with henchmen in my employ, I am investing in more drugs and more guns with the state’s money. But the government, preoccupied with narcissism rather than the law-abiding citizenry, has shown it is willing to consort even with the spirit of strife Eris to remain relevant.
On reflection, though I do not subscribe to illegal wiretapping, how wonderful it would have been if those who orchestrated the tapping of the phones of late Prime Ministers Thompson and Arthur, and other law-abiding citizens for purely political reasons, had instead bugged the phones of known or suspected felons. Can one imagine the type of intelligence that could have been obtained if the phones of ‘prominent’ drug dealers had been monitored? It is not farfetched to surmise that such intelligence could have preempted some of the “wild, wild west” drama unfolding on our streets. This gathering of information would have proven much more beneficial to the country’s safety and security than the present gatherin’.
Standards in Barbados have dropped. When one loses or surrenders one’s grip on the small things, bigger problems frequently follow. For example, children (males especially) are now going to school with hairstyles and apparel resembling what is seen on the blocks around the country. And seemingly with the Ministry of Education’s blessing. Within the scheme of the blood-letting on our streets, this seems minor. But the argument is really about standards and messaging to our young people. Dress codes and hairstyles were once tied into overall school and social discipline. Allow a little; lose a lot! Discipline is going fast . . . at school, and at home where children leave with their parents’ approval. A breakdown often initially manifests itself somewhere and in the current decadent political climate, seemingly small things can swiftly mushroom into the negative.
Governance by public relations and infiltration of institutions (public and private) can only go so far. There comes a time when policies and implementation are required for progress. The government has been brilliant with public relations and infiltration but wears a dunce cap and sucks its thumb with clueless relish when it comes to progressive policies. The legislature needs to formulate development plans on what “to do”. It has seemingly been concentrating on laws instructing persons what “not to do”. Several pieces of legislation brought to the Lower Chamber, then withdrawn due to flaws, have become commonplace. But at least, the debacle that has been the Constitutional Reform Commission’s report has showcased a measure of consistency.
Controlling traditional media as the government has ensured, keeps the state’s soiled linen under wraps and turns some journalists into professional eunuchs but it does the general public a disservice. The attempt to control social media by proposing legislation that could criminalise truths if they hurt or embarrass feelings, detracts from otherwise sound efforts to stymie cybercrime and cyberbullying. The offensive part of that law is a survival tool under the guise of protecting society. Could this be the decade of legends in their own minds preparing for, or seeing themselves, as a government in perpetuity?
Controlling the Central Bank’s narratives ensures continued annual growth on a foundation of borrowed money, increasing debt and struggling and non-productive sectors. But that mirage does nothing for Little Miss Muffet starving on her Tuffet without either curds or whey. When growth has minimal effect on the suffering working class, and money is circulating mainly in the upper echelons of society, then the Emperor is fully clothed and Nero’s flute is at high pitch as Barbados burns. Would that an accountant be entrusted with the governorship of the Central Bank rather than any economist.
There have been some questionable occurrences within the justice system and there must be concern about the separation of powers in Barbados. Is the judiciary being unnecessarily influenced, infiltrated, or assaulted? In jurisdictions like the United States of America, if a President overrides an order of the Supreme Court and awards millions of taxpayers’ dollars to public servants who lose a civil action brought against the state, that President’s head is likely to roll. If the courts in America remained silent, there would be a national and media uproar. That country would see such a development as profoundly perverse. Barbadians need to pay closer attention to home.
Following the Kirton’s, St Philip murder over the weekend, the media interviewed some residents and there was a sense of resignation among them, as though “it is what it is”. One man suggested Bajans have to be careful and learn to “live with it”. It is a dangerous development when people start getting numb to crime. It is a disaster if they start believing that nothing can be done about violent crime. The government and especially the police should take note of those public utterances. The Barbados Police Service is blessed with numerous outstanding individuals but the government has not been the best role model for others to follow. And the gangsters on the streets need little encouragement.
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