OVER THE PAST couple o’ years evah day ya open ya two eyes, ya hearing or reading bout another shooting. If somebody or bodies ain’t just drive by slow and shoot up a group o’ people who just there hanging out or playing a game o’ dominoes, somebody does walk up tuh a man and shoot he just so. Or, two people might get in tuh some kinda altercation and one o’ dem get shoot.
It got the hospital busy enough, and it is so common place now dat it look as if a lot o’ people like duh just decide tuh accept it as something dat does happen in Barbados now and so, duh acting a lil more cautious but vigilant, and trying tuh protect demselves and duh families as best duh could.
I cahn say dat I blame dem at all because it look as if evahbody and he brother got a gun; even if ya ain’t know how tuh shoot it, dat ain’t important. What matters here is dat you got a gun at your disposal tuh use at will whenevah you want and if anybody you doan like should cross you path. It is enough tuh get ya, not only frighten as France, but frustrated and angry at the foolishness dat going on all ovah Barbados.
Now look at this, the other day the Reverend Lucille Baird openly expressed her feelings and views bout the lot o’ violence in Barbados. She sounded like she was quite passionate and even went on tuh say something bout getting rid o’ the lot o’ blocks all bout the place. She is one o’ the many Bajans who think dat the blocks is where crime does breed.
Well who tell Reverend Baird do dat or even voice she opinion bout anything; all of a sudden all kinds o’ people was washing off the woman. The NATION newspaper had a big spread wid the fellas liming pon a couple o’ blocks, some saying how all blocks ain’t bad, another body say how being pon the block help dem tuh get where dem is; then somebody else say dat she should come outta the church and come out pon the blocks and see fuh she self.
As if dat wasn’t all, the online readers in the NATION also had duh say. One body say dat dem doan see wha the church does do, dat dem doan see the church getting out there and doing this or the next and a whole lot o’ people lambaste Reverend Baird and the church hear.
I ain’t agree wid everything she say ‘cause fuh one, I ain’t know how the police would dismantle all o’ these blocks bout the island; it ain’t as easy as it sounds. From the time I was growing up, duh always had places where men, young and old, used tuh congregate – under the street lights was one o’ the most common places. But the men used tuh always hang out in groups and play dominoes, draughts, cards and most o’ the time argue bout women, sports and politics. Ya used tuh get the occasional fight, but the animosity and then the killings . . . uh uh.
I had a lot o’ brothers and my brothers had a lot o’ friends and I could remember how dem men used tuh guard duh territory. If dem see a strange face moving in tuh the place checking fuh one o’ the girls, it didn’t use tuh go down too well. Dem had tuh find out where ya gine and who ya coming tuh suh often. It was always a rivalry between the Orleans, Dayrells Road, the Bayland or Brittons Hill tuh name a few places but nuh fighting or killing. Not nowadays; it look like it is bare hatred – even if as some o’ the block men say, all blocks ain’t bad. But how ya does know which ones bad and which ones good?
say what ya like bout Reverend Baird, but she ain’t all wrong, at least she bold enough tuh come out and express her feelings. Yes, some o’ dem blocks does breed a lot o’ criminal minded young men. Duh aint wucking nuh where nor doan want tuh work, but duh want money . . . . So how duh gine get it and who or where duh gine get it? Duh got tuh do something illegal tuh get it, I would think.
• Mavis Beckles was born and raised in The Orleans. She has an opinion on everything.
