Death is always difficult to deal with.
It is particularly so when it has claimed a very young victim.
To see someone cut down in the prime of their life or at a very tender age is always a sad thing.
So when we carried a report last week of the death of nine-year-old Adita Nikisha Alexander-Jack, the outpouring of sympathy from our online readers hardly came as a surprise.
It was particularly sad that when so many were celebrating the start of a new year and all that comes along with it that a family was mourning the loss of a young one.
This was one of the most gripping stories this past week as readers sent out their prayers and support for the family of the young girl.
On THE NATION’s Facebook page, readers poured their hearts out. These are some of the comments:
Stephanie Bonner: “This is so sad. My heart goes out to her family. I feel so bad for the old man, to watch her go just like that and being helpless to save her. Oh, Lord, I pray that God comforts them during this time of sorrow.”
Paula Harris: “This is a shock indeed; such a tender age. May her soul be at peace.”
Claude Carter: “It’s heartbreaking to hear of a child to die at such a young age. May God be with the family at this time. Rest in peace, to the little girl. She’s safe in the arms of the Lord now.”
The “death” of the Globe Cinema as we know it also struck a chord with our readers who were sentimental about its closure on December 31.
They also had their say when Apostle T. Wayne Bishop unveiled his plans to purchase the building as his new worshipping venue, Revelation Word Christian Center.
Some believe Government should step in to acquire the building to strengthen this country’s cultural sector, others disagreed. These are their comments:
Raquel Gilkes: “The Globe is a private business and is being sold and they have a buyer. Why should the Government be involved? The Government should not be involved because they do not need to be. A private investor selling a building to another buyer is a straightforward transaction. A cinema is just that, a cinema. Everything that had a ‘profound impact’ on Bajan social life does not need to be owned by our Government.”
Mark Leroy Fenty: “Why shouldn’t Government be involved, seeing that the Globe is one of those institutions, for the lack of a better word, which have had a profound impact on the social life of the Barbadian people? Maybe the Globe has seen its days, who knows? But my point is this: are we limiting the scope of government, by suggesting that it has no business in the private affairs of the country?”
That was part of the debate that raged on Facebook among some, while others were busy following the industrial action which hit the Alexandra School last Wednesday and is set to escalate tomorrow when teachers represented by the Barbados Secondary Teachers’ Union (BSTU) are expected to pull their services from lunch-time.
Readers were also concerned when police sent out an SOS for missing 15-year-old Tia-Anne Sarah Watts of Thompson Gap, Codrington Hill, St Michael. They were equally relieved when the teenager was found.
