Some Bajans are taking comfort in the belief that God won’t put more on a people than they can bear. And it would be unconscionable to lay any more disasters on us, given our present Government. I don’t know about that.
Manuel de Casas came to Barbados to work at the Venezuelan Embassy and vowed to make his home here. He sang and played with us in Guataka and audiences loved his enthusiasm and beautiful tenor voice.
Every now and then he would turn up at my home with a busload of Spanish-speaking tourists and he and I would serenade them with cuatro and guitar.
And he was overjoyed the day he phoned to tell me: “Richad, I am now at last a citizen of Barbados!” On his CD is a tribute to Barbados and when he sings: “De ti me enamorado” (“I have fallen in love with you”), you know he means it.
Manuel, John Moss and I were to perform at the Hilton later this month. John phoned last week to tell me Manuel had passed away in his sleep. Vaya con Dios, my brother! Strike one.
Two days later came the news of a horrific accident at Bourbon, St Lucy, where a ZR van literally took apart a tractor. That must have been some impact!
Two St Lucy residents were telling me about the crazy racing and stunts ZRs do down there.
“It’s lucky it wasn’t a few days earlier. Vans were packed to overflowing with schoolchildren screaming and urging them to go even faster.”
I don’t know the details of the Bourbon incident. The tractor driver sustained serious injuries. He is grandfather to my two grandsons on their father’s side. Strike two.
Strike three was supposed to be Tropical Storm Chantal but she failed to show up in our area. This false alarm thing happens way too often and the Met people need to be less definite in their predictions. Fortunately, there is a female weather presenter on TV who gets roundly ’bused by viewers every time she says: “The sun is expected to rise at . . . .”
If she isn’t sure whether the sun will rise, she’d be perfect to come up with a weather bulletin vague enough to cover all bases. Like: “According to satellite imagery from the Americans (the same Americans who told us Saddam had weapons of mass destruction and we know how true that was) Storm Chantal could pass close enough to Barbados for us to experience rain and gusty winds. On the other hand, it might not. The sun is expected to rise tomorrow . . . .”
However, every near-miss storm should be a reminder that we are courting divine intervention if we continue pushing the homosexual agenda. Yes, the Bible condemns fornication and adultery, but I don’t see where whole towns were destroyed because of anything but sodomy and gomorrahea.
In Monday’s NATION, Reverend Clifford Hall would have us believe that “gayness causes no harm” to society. “Ditto”, says Frank Harris in Tuesday’s NATION. That may be so for homos, a minority in my opinion, living in a relationship. What about the many homo men always on the prowl looking for new victims?
Some years ago I played at John’s Club on the St James coast where there would be 15 or more local young men dancing outside to parade their bodies for the leering white homo patrons. Many of our youths with no homosexual inclinations are still being lured into that lifestyle by the promise of easy money. No harm, Rev?
What about the Trini limbo dancer they allegedly drugged and homosexualled on that same coast who, I am told, committed suicide afterwards. No harm, Frank?
What about the St Thomas youth who, while driving with his boss, dared to exclaim: “Sir, let go my bird!” and was fired that same week?
No, gentlemen. I wanted no part in this debate. But I have a fragile farm and two grandsons to protect and see no alternative but to speak out.
By the way, I got an email this week from a guy who says he’s “cheerful” and he sent photos. Maybe Frank could find him an opening.
• Richard Hoad is a farmer and social commentator.
