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Conquering hate

EditorialConquering hate

“We recognize there is this issue with gangs in our communities …  This gang warfare is not good for the city; it is not good for the country … listen, all of us feel the same pain. All of us feel the same challenges. Why would you growing up, as you turn from a child to a youth, begin to harbor this hate? That is what is happening in our community. There is this strong hatred in our community, and it (crosses) political lines, it crosses communities; it is rampant in the urban areas. And so we … want to be certain in changing that mindset.”  – Belize City Mayor, Bernard Wagner at the closing of the CITCO Youth Innovation Summer Camp.  (See page 3, Amandala of Friday, August 12, 2022.)

   Milestones, like birthdays and anniversaries, are occasions for us to reflect on our past journey as we forge ahead in trying to enjoy this life that God has given us, and in trying to make it better for ourselves and our loved ones near and far; for our community, country and the world at large; and especially for the children, and those yet unborn to inherit this blessed earth. And as Amandala marked its 53rd anniversary this past Saturday, we can’t help but acknowledge that, with all the challenges and obstacles facing our founding organization, UBAD, in our Belize communities back in 1969, there was still an abundance of “peace and love” throughout those communities, despite the “haad time” and poverty that existed then, leading many to seize the earliest opportunity to “go through di back” to the States. In the poorest of communities, we said “the struggle goes on”; but unlike today in 2022, there was not the pervasive language of hate, about “turf” and  “beefs” and “disrespect” sparking retaliation and lethal violence; or the frequent news reports of cold-blooded “hits”, broad daylight executions and home invasions; and just as disturbing, the establishment of myriad gang-dominated areas, so that youths are often restricted in their movements in the city due to gang rivalries that could quickly become violent and even lethal.

   There were always “bases” and “gangs” in the old capital, and there were sometimes rivalries, mostly played out in sporting encounters; but it was never a life and death affair. And there was not this hatred, of one gang for another, that has become rampant within our communities, and that has come to dictate the course of living for the recent and current generations of young Belizeans.   

   The gangs themselves are not the problem; the violence and lawlessness are; and the anger and hatred that spawn this violence and crime are the well-spring of this current wave that has engulfed our social fabric for the past few decades. And with the persistent futility of many Band-Aid efforts over the years, it is now clear that if the root is not tackled seriously, this problem will remain with us and grow even more in the coming years. Amandala sounded the warning over five decades ago, and the message to “pharaoh” remains the same today: “Let my people go!”

   What is a gang, but a group of individuals working together in unity and cohesion to achieve an objective? On the old waterfront, and even still today, there are work gangs at the Port that perform an important task of removing cargo from ships and delivering them to our customs warehouses. There are work gangs in the field in various endeavors, be it agricultural or industrial-type work. The negative stigma of “gangs” is obviously because of this particular brand of illegal gang activities that has become a part of our troubled existence in recent times.  And “where did it all begin”?

   Well, we have seen it all unfold before our eyes, those of us who “will see”. We’ve always had poverty here, and despite that, we had a “whole lotta love.” And we’ve always had crime too, but on a much smaller scale, so that the justice system could cope with the situation, and thus all were encouraged to “walk the straight and narrow path.”

   But, as a writer from St. Louis observed in Amandala recently, come the 1980s and you “drop drugs,” “drop guns,” and some fast-moving cash to “pay crooked cops,” and suddenly we have a big gang problem in Belize. And all the preaching from the pulpits and the political rostrums has not gotten to the root of this problem, which has kept growing bigger each time it seems the head has been chopped off. Nothing much changes when a notorious gang leader is incarcerated or killed. Another takes his place.

   If we are serious about wanting to solve this problem, then, like our Mayor suggested, we have to be real. It’s about “changing that mindset.” When we were all poor, we struggled together, helped one another, and yes, quarreled sometimes. But in this new reality, with drugs and guns and fast-moving cash, suddenly a few of us are “making it“, and others want “a piece of the action.” Competition in business becomes fierce, and there is a bigger boss from “high society” running the show, so for the “small fries” in our various neighborhoods, it’s “dog eat dog” and survival of the fittest. Gang warfare is inevitable as long as gangs are involved in the illegal drug business. Because it is illegal, gangs must battle to maintain their “turf”, their area of doing business – sales. Simple. And the burning poverty in their communities becomes breeding grounds for the gangs to enlist new “soldiers” and gain sympathy and support from those who receive “help outs” and “hand-outs” from time to time. It’s not rocket science. Gangs are sustained by the loyalty from impoverished communities who accept from the gang leaders the help they don’t get from “society”.     

   We can hire a thousand more police officers, or call more and more “states of emergency”; but the problem is not going away. We’ve been “barking up the wrong tree” for too long. An old Kriol proverb says, “Full belly tell hungry belly, ‘kip heart’.” In more modern times, the artist Tanya Carter sang, “You’ve got to show me, that your love is real.” And some of us put it another way: “Put your money where your mouth is.”

   This is where we are in 2022. Many Belizeans are poor, but we are a wise people. Desperation will always make some people do wrong things. And if the obscenely wealthy amongst us do not care that there are masses of desperately poor citizens trying to figure out “weh di next meal di cohn from,” then things may have to get a lot worse to make them “get the sense.” The Mayor may be on to something; but the financiers of our two major political parties may not be on board with that approach. They believe in big business and trickle-down crumbs for the masses.  Government’s recently announced “$40 Million Micro-Small-Medium Belizean Enterprises” initiative could be a meaningful thrust towards spreading the love and pushing back the walls of hate in our communities, but a lot depends on how this project is executed. 

   Keep watch, Belizeans! There are big financial sharks about, and they are always looking for a feeding frenzy for themselves. Our leaders must think of the suffering masses first. After the land, we need the food, and our people will “flee from hate.” Feed the hungry, work the land, and bring back the love, Belize! 

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