FIVE YEARS ago to the day, Barbados mourned the loss of six young women who died in the tragic Campus Trendz fire. It was a sad day in the history of this country and one which many will never forget, especially the families of the six who perished in that tragedy.
Today, we remember Tiffany Harding, Kelly-Ann Welch, Kellishaw Ollivierre, Nikita Belgrave, Pearl Cornelius and Shanna Griffith.
There will be a national minute of silence at noon in their memory. We appeal to all Barbadians to join the relatives of the victims in the ceremony that will be held in Heroes Square, The City. It is our civic duty to ofter the families not only kind words of comfort, but also to stand in solidarity with them to say enough is enough when it comes to senseless killings.
A member of the September 3 Foundation has already indicated that it was their intention to return every year for the anniversary of the deaths of the young women. While as a country we cannot bear the pain of the relatives, as a nation we can share their grief and loss.
As we offer up a minute’s silence, we also need to reflect on the lives lost to senseless gun crimes, especially in recent times. This must stop and those who continue to be trigger happy as they terrorise communities, must recognise that too many innocent lives are lost in the gunplay.
We take to heart the words of Prime Minister Freundel Stuart that Government would not be a “helpess spectator bound hand and foot” while firearms rip through homes and districts across the country. He urged Barbadians to stop the blame game and act before it was too late.
His reasoning is simple and it is one we share. To do anything different would be to turn a blind eye to the eventual erosion of social values that threatens to break down everything that has been built up in this country.
In essence, we all need to take heed, restock and re-evaluate if we are to protect and safeguard our communities and families from the hands of villainous vandals who are looking to shake the very core of our country.
So today, as we pause to reflect on the lives lost, remembering that sad day in our history when all eyes were on that Tudor Street store and our hearts mourned for the six who perished, let us also mourn for those who also died in recent gun crimes.
Let us all say a prayer.