IT WOULD APPEAR dat only certain people in this society are supposed tuh be exposed.
Sometimes I wonder if it is only me who does find it difficult tuh understand some o’ the things that happen in Barbados.
I talking ’bout some things like injustices, bullying, unfairness, things dat come out in public and then all of a sudden get the hush-hush treatment, or ’bout things dat would happen tuh certain people or even businesses but ya cahn print or the public ain’t supposed tuh know ’bout it fuh whatevah reason.
I could remember the other day, I think it was last year or the year before, I cahn remember, the days gine long suh fast I cahn seem tuh catch up; but, anyway,
I think it was Minister Haynesley Benn who did some kinda survey ’pon some o’ the supermarkets and the papers published the various but varied prices of certain items dat these supermarkets were carrying.
Now some o’ the prices did high as France and then as you read on, thinking dat you woulda see the places he was talking ’bout and try tuh avoid dem; nothing suh good, not one o’ dem supermarkets was evah mentioned.
Dem is things I doan understand. Wha’ um ain’t help me none, I ain’t nuh wiser at the end of it all. The supermarkets still gine ’long wid duh high prices, doing business as usual at my expense and the big boys still wearing a big able grin pon duh face. Not one soul ain’t get expose, so why do the survey at all?
Why get in the newspapers and ’pon the people television and make a big deal outta it? Ya mean just fuh you tuh look good, tuh lift up my hopes dat something gine be done ’bout it, only tuh get dem dashed again?
Well, wunna realise by now dat all o’ dah gone through the eddoes, end of matter, and me and evahbody else still paying through we nose-holes when we gine in these supermarkets.
Long stupse
If you look at the front page o’ the Thursday NATION you would see the headlines: FTC Cries Foul in big, bold, capital letters and, under it, Some Businesses Abusing ‘Position Of Dominance’.
Well, when I saw this I start tuh read right away because I wanted tuh know who these businesses was and how they were abusing their position. So, excitedly I read on, only tuh butt up ’pon the words, “opting not tuh name the offending companies . . . . ” So I leh go a big, long stupse of disgust but . . . . I read on a li’l’ further and the body who was giving the address, Chief Executive Officer Peggy Griffith said dat the FTC had zero tolerance fuh such unfair practices and would make renewed efforts tuh stomp out . . . blah, blah, blah.
She went on tuh say dat the FTC have completed major investigations into the construction, telecommunications, automotive, food distribution and manufacturing industries.
I continued reading all the lot o’ long talk and then I get tuh the part dat read: “We are reviewing our investigative procedures tuh create greater certainty in the minds of the public and….” I stupse again and stop reading.
My brother, who was eating lunch by me at the time, picked up the paper later and was reading the same story when, all of a sudden, I hear he blurt out:
“So why say anything at all? Wha’, ya still ain’t saying nothing.”
I thought it was only me but when I hear he say so, he being a big, intelligent man wid degrees, university training and who holding down a big, respectable position, all I could say was: “Awright den!”
Dat is what I talking ’bout, saying a lot, calling a lot o’ big, impressive words but ain’t saying or doing one frupse. The public ain’t nuh wiser, the big businesses still getting on and doing as duh please, some o’ dem still raising duh prices at will, ya still getting inferior products at times and we Bajans, instead of banding together and boycotting some o’ these business, we too flipping-well divided and selfish.
You think anything so could happen in the United States?
A lot o’ these businesses dat exploiting poor people so all the time woulda either adjust duh prices or be out o’ business long time. Dat is why I continue tuh say Bajans is some o’ the best copiers in the world, we like tuh copy the Americans but we does always copy the wrong things.
We need tuh take a leaf outta the people in Greece book; dat is, find a way tuh cut out the middle man. Like in the case of food, go straight and directly tuh the farmer and then go in the supermarkets fuh bare essentials only. You would see how hard and fast dem prices would drop down!
• Mavis Beckles was born and raised in The Orleans. She has an opinion on everything.