THINK ABOUT IT

IN THE CITY OF SORROWS

In the City of Sorrows, capital of the Land of Sad Tomorrows, there descended a curse from the House of Harrows.

Sufferation was widespread across the land.

The people, burdened by mismanagement and malice being stricken in deepening poverty were told of a beast called Recession whose half-crazy sister, Economic Ruin, was seen lurking behind.

And the Pharaoh ordered the already burdened people to batten down.

The people saw where a plague called lice was eating the fat of the land stored up in the Treasury. And the people also saw the children of Pharaoh living in luxury as Prince and Princesses at a time of great hardship.

And the people also saw Pharoah’s favored few given fancy chariots called SUV’s with benefits and privileges.

And the people further saw that the talkers and criticizers of the last rulers now had their tongues silenced with tokens, titles and advertising commissions.

And anger grew in the hearts of the people, for they knew they were once again being betrayed. And their suffering was as great as their anger and hate.

This was at a time when hard hearted killers had not yet transformed to assassins with agendas.

But this is for another chapter, to be told and retold as the tale unfold -in the City of Sorrows being ruined by the family of Harrows.

DJ BUSH JOINS

Popular music magician DJ Bush has joined the long and ever growing list of citizens whose rights have been abused.

If Belize had an effective Ombudsman, or proper Police Complaints Board, such abuses would be few and far between. A decent government would have condemned such rampant and continuing abuse by employees of the government against the citizens of the country.

Since becoming government nearly two years ago the complaints have been pouring into the news-media. Rogue police continue to slap, punch, kick, gunbutt, beat-up, shoot, wound and injure citizens by the hundreds.

According to the government crime is on the decrease. Yeah Right! Well, we guess with nothing challenging to do the Police turn on the very citizens whose taxes pay their salaries.

DJ Bush’s experience is nauseating – a drunken Senior Officer physically beating a cool and humble dude like DJ. Then, to add insult to injury they detain DJ, for overnight.

We strongly advise DJ Bush and all citizens whose rights are trampled by rogue police officers to take legal action in the Supreme Court. Let them pay.

TWO DISGUSTING

Two disgusting events occurred recently.

The first is that a man out of jealously stabbed his woman to death. It was done in front of at least one of the children who tried stabbing the man to save her mom.

Appearing at the Magistrate Court for murder charges to be read, the man said he did it and wants his trial to be held quickly so he can serve his time. Reports are that he left the area and went somewhere else for the murder weapon. He then returned and stabbed-up the woman.

The second event was the verdict in the Supreme Court of a man charged for carnal knowledge. Carnal knowledge is relatively easy to prove. One, the victim, who is usually a minor, had been the subject or object of a sexual act. Two, is the person who did the dastardly deed the accused standing in the Court. The sex part is usually assisted by a medical report.

In the trial in Supreme Court a thirteen year old child gave evidence that when she was eleven years her mother’s boyfriend came home, grabbed her, took her into her mother’s bedroom and had sex with her. The mother returned home to catch her man on top of her daughter. Her mistake was not to grab a machete and chop him up.

The man did not take the witness stand and swear to talk the truth.

The Jury found the man not guilty.

There are many lessons that can be learnt from these two events.

In the stabbing event – trial should not take more than six to nine months. What is left to investigate? Would not swift justice help to deter other jealous men, and save the lives of many women?

What of the mother stabbed to death? Was there something that could have been done where she could safely have escaped from the control of the jealous man? Is there an effective organization to help battered and endangered women?

The sixteen days of activism has been exposed as an ineffective media stunt with little relevance in helping women in real danger or living in the dark shadows of batterers and potential murderers.

“Men must put themselves in the shoes of battered women.” That would give them a wake up call and make them recoil from their deeds. So we were told by the women’s organizations touting the sixteen days of activism a few weeks ago. It is not so in the real world. Not so in the real world. Men who beat women are sick. They need psychiatric help, professional counseling, segregation from their women, and punishment for the slightest infraction; public exposure and condemnation if they failed to reform.

For child molesters who have sex with minors – these cases should never take two years to reach trial. That is punishing the child and her family twice. Why was a thirteen year minor dragged into Supreme Court only to hear it was all in vain? She has been raped twice. And guess what to the shame of all these women organizations, there has been not a single counseling session for this unfortunate child and her mother.

SAVE THE SHARK

A Fisheries Department official informed an attorney who told this writer that Guatemalans and Hondurans come into Belize waters and are slaughtering the sharks. This they do to get the fins which are in demand in those countries.

BRAIN DRAIN

Official statistics show that over the last ten years of Jamaicans over the age of 25 years with University education 89,000 stayed in Jamaica, while 291,000 left the island for betterment abroad.

THIS BOOK IS BAD

This long Christmas weekend provides for a rare activity in Belize. Get a book and read.

An excellent read is OPEN VEINS by Eduardo Galeans. Copies are available at Image Factory Bookstore on North Front Street. This book is bad; an eye opener to the exploitation done by foreigners to our people in our region. It is the book Hugo Chavez gave to Barack Obama during the Summit of the America’s. It’s a pity Obama did not find time to read it. If he did he would have ended the unjust blockade America has instituted against Cuba for the past 30 years and would stop the killing of thousands of Afghanistan and Taliban in an unjust war. His country has been pursuing for the past eight bloody years.

Another excellent read this weekend is the Gospel of St. Matthew or the Gospel of Luke. Every home should have a Bible and regular reading should be done. An all time favorite is the Book of Ecclesiastes, in the Old Testament. There are so many words of wisdom therein. Did you know that this is also in the Bible:-

“A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things.” Ecclesiastes Chapter 10 verse 19.

WEBSITES

Information is the key to knowledge. Knowledge is power. Knowledge can make you make money. But remember it starts with information. Here are a few websites that valuable information can be obtained; All Africa.com., Al Jazera.com, The Nation.com., The Economist Magazine, Jamaica Gleaner, Trinidad Express, New York Times, Newsweek Magazine.com, Grandma.com.(English Edition), New African Magazines,