Wed. Mar. 22, 2023
I don’t want to beat a dead horse, but it seems that the United States Department of State is hell bent on keeping its heels sunk deeply into the neck of Belize. They have every right to criticize or comment on the state of the world, but this picayune attack on little Belize feels almost vindictive. It’s like, we can’t really find anything horrendous, so we’ll amplify and vilify any shortcomings we can come up with. Yes, the case of Allyson Major was an unjustified tragedy, and even more so the case of Derrick Uh, who died a horrific death in the back of an oven, a police van without working ventilation. In the case of Mr. Uh, it was an accidental death, I believe; Allyson Major’s death was more a case of careless and lawless policing which has to be contained. Human rights violations and returning Cubans back to Cuba? Freedom of press? Seriously? Corruption in government, and abuses in prisons? All of these criticisms should be taken seriously by the Belizean people, but not when it comes from a country that is becoming more unrecognizable every day because of its violence, its extremism, especially in Congress! We should be a little skeptical, I think.
In America there are almost daily mass shootings; police violence against minorities are on the increase; racism and antisemitism are also on the rise! Political discourse has turned into war, each party painting the other side as devils, communists, socialists, racists, fascists! Carjackers and roving gangs are ruling the major cities, drugs that can’t be controlled killing tens of thousands each year! Some states are trying to ban the teaching of the history of slavery, Rosa Parks, Toni Morrison, trying to change the history of an oppressed race, a subject that can’t be minimized, no matter how hard they try! Women have no rights over their reproductive organs, over their children’s health in some cases. The judiciary is being turned into a weapon against the other side, and let’s not even go into the way refugees and immigrants trying to get in, have been treated, and in some cases, still are. By the way, one of the things I’m most proud of in Belize is its freedom of the press, the only free press in Central America, except maybe for Costa Rica!
Yet, here they are, cherry-picking the few instances where Belize might have strayed off the path of righteousness, the very few instances, although still too much for a country of its size. A small country that is struggling to find its path through the minefields of a very selfish and fast- changing world. Yes, there’s corruption, in every country in the world, but we haven’t gotten to the point where blatant corruption cripples the souls of our citizens. Yes, mistakes are made every day, but again, it happens in a developing nation. If Belize had the proportionate financial wealth of the Bodyguard, we would be in much better shape than they are, because we mostly see ourselves as Belizeans, not us, and them!
Again, we should not try to hide or deny our frailties, but this nitpicking of every little detail of Belize’s growing pains is neither helpful nor acceptable! In my opinion we should always accept advice and criticism when it comes from our parents, except when they live their lives in a way that make us cringe! They tell us that we should behave ourselves when all we are doing is following their example. Do what we say and not what we do. Peace and love!
Glen