Whenever I read an article which is not signed by anyone, the first thing that comes to my mind is that the writer lives in fear, not to call it another word. I start asking myself – what is it that he or she fears? It is understandable for those who are working for the GOB, regardless of which political party is in power.
After reading “Opinion of a Belizean Artist: re: Guatemala first Nov. 2, 2008,” published in the Amandala on Sunday, November 23, of the same year, I found nothing in there which could have tampered the security of the “Belizeño’s” writing except for saying, “Before we tackle the Ministry of Broadcasting, let’s start from the ground up.” The only thing you had to do there was instead of using the word “we,” you should have said “you.” Apart from that, you have nothing to fear.
For the last five years I brought up the issue of the Belizean national anthem and flag – from there it led to the history of Belize. Brother Colin and I have been exchanging ideas for over a couple of years. If I’m not wrong, I think it started on the 30th of August 2006. Apart from Brother Colin, there are many others, including the Editorialist and the Publisher, who have been participating in this discussion.
I would like to invite you to seriously come into the revision of our history, the history of Belize, without being one-sided. You have already stepped in, but I think you did not analyze what you wrote. Is that the reason why you did not put your name? I will state down what you said for the record: “Just as Clinton should understand that it wasn’t about whether it was a skirmish, battle or war. It was, and still is, that act of bravery that matters to the modern day Creole. That said, we need to learn to respect another’s opinion, and express our own without causing unnecessary and deliberate offence or assuming that everyone’s should be the same. Irresponsible unity causes division.” Signed: Beliceño.
I am a root Belizean, I don’t know who are you. Root Belizeans for me are all those descendants from the Maya and African slaves who were brought here by force to this land we call Belize. In the Belize educational system, there is a history told by the slave masters, and our children were (are) taught what the masters wanted the past generation to know so as to teach the following ones. The thing is that when our children go out of Belize and want to talk about their history, they are put to shame because outsiders know more about our history than we Belizeans. I personally went through that experience while I was writing at a newspaper. I was challenged when I wrote about George Cadle Price Escalante and the Independence. The issue I was challenged on was the “Belize/Guatemala” – my pen went dry. So, whenever you are going to teach your Belizean students about their history, you have to make them know the difference between skirmish, battle or war of the 1798 issue.
It is a shame for the Minister of a Government to refer to the history of their country: (Please correct me if I am wrong). Melvin Hulse said on KREM WUB morning show on Friday, November 7, 2008, that “Belize was conquered” and that is untrue. It is a shame to read what was published in the Amandala on Sunday, September 14, 2008, under the caption “At Official Ceremonies, Mayor Moya, Tourism Minister Heredia plead for National Unity,” that Mexico was at war against a settlement which they called “country.” If there were international dignitaries at the ceremony, I am sure they would have smiled internally at so much ignorance.
According to your letter, it seems that you live in Cayo. In that case you are right next door to Belmopan, where lie the National Archives. I would advised you to take a little of your time and go do some research on who was recognized and was given the merit as the brave ones in 1798. According to the information I got from Brother Charles X, is that Brother Samuel Hynes wrote his master poem “Land of the Gods” sometime in 1938. That poem had become your national anthem and it says that,
“Our fathers, the Baymen, valiant and bold, drove back the invader …” It did not say that the slaves were “valiant and bold.” It also did not specify if the invaders were the Spaniards or the Icaiches. The British-pirates-buccaneers were known historically as the Baymen of the Bay of Honduras, not the slaves. If you can find any written document which states that the slaves were acknowledged as “valiant and bold” by the then slavemasters, bring it forward.
Don’t misunderstand me: this does not mean that our ancestors the Africans were not brave men and women. We just have to go in our African civilization history, one which the white Europeans of today say that Africa is their ancestors’ birth place. There are those who would like to put down our throat that Egypt is not in Africa and that the first inhabitants of Egypt were white Europeans. Anyhow, we need tangible proof of our history, not theory.
You said that I am, “causing unnecessary and deliberate offence.” Now, I will ask you to prove it publicly. In your last sentence of four words, I would like to ask you to analyze it with seriousness. The irresponsible were and are your masters who have divided us before our generations. Unity: your political Independence leaders are the ones to be blamed for not being able to achieve it.
To conclude with the merit of being “valiant and bold” that was given to the slavemasters the Baymen, your forefathers. The history of Belize is not one person’s opinion, and if you want to find out who are the “modern Creoles,” I am also one. By the way, are you a “Son of the Baymen’s Clan?”
28th November 2008
Finca Solana
Corozal Town