by Colin Hyde

Up, you mighty people, accomplish what you will! Emancipate yourself from mental slavery; none but ourselves can free our minds! The 20th century saw many great heroes, and for me Marcus was the greatest, most fascinating of them all.

On August 17, 1887, Marcus Garvey was born in Jamaica. Marcus entered a world where the definition of good looks was the Jesus phenotype the Europeans displayed in the churches— blond, straight hair, blue eyes, narrow face, and white. The Europeans were having an unchecked run, until Marcus came along to restore black pride and teach us about economic independence.

I am proud that my country rolled out the red carpet for Marcus. I am proud that one of my great- grandmothers was a member of his United Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). I am proud that Isaiah Morter gave much of his wealth to the UNIA cause. I am proud that Samuel Haynes worked in the production of the Negro World, and that despite the governor here prohibiting it, it had a wide circulation. I am proud of Vivian Seay and Cleopatra White and our Black Cross Nurses. I join with all the Garveyites in remembering Marcus.

Referendum postponement regret grrr

Former third party leaders Paul Morgan and Patrick Rogers were on the WuB early last week discussing this move by the government to form the People’s Constitutional Commission, tasked with making comprehensive reforms, and both men say the GOB has no so such mandate—such a reform not being one of their 2020-2025 manifesto promises. I’m not for this constitution commission either, so I have no complaint there.

The present government does have a super majority, thanks to the UDP messing up badly, and with their special advantage they can change just about any part of the constitution they want. But they’re taking advantage here. In a previous column I opined that they were pushed into this overreach by the social partner senators, but that’s no excuse, and that’s not my beef today.

I have a beef with Paul. The brother is great, but I have to complain about him using the postponed referendum on marijuana as an example of Belize not following the Constitution. He should have left that one alone. As for the caller to the WuB who was so upset that the churches had postponed the referendum, I have to ask: does she hate marijuana and felt the nay side could deliver a death blow to ganja in a referendum; does she love marijuana and was disappointed about the business delay; or is she a big UDP who felt the churches would win this round and the government would look bad? I think all parties who are angry with the churches over the agreement to postpone should pull an Oceana: get their own referendum going.

If we are sincere we will accept that a referendum on the recently passed Cannabis and Industrial Hemp Control and Licensing Bill of 2022 is a pot of confusion. Why did 20,000 individuals sign it? Did they just like the idea of a referendum? Are they against all legitimization of weed, including decriminalization? Are they for legalizing ONLY for local use and for tourists? Are they against the hemp industry? Are they ONLY against the big business side of the industry included in the recently passed law?

The government and the churches need to be applauded for their maturity in, one, agreeing to the postponement, and, two, promising that the law won’t be implemented without a referendum. The GOB estimated it would cost between 3 and 5 million dollars, a very steep price with 60% poverty in the land, our economy battered by Covid- 19, a war in Europe, high fuel prices, high prices of everything, and a threat of monkey pox. A referendum would also take up a lot of our time, and we’ve lost so much of that recently.

The churches felt strongly against weed, and thousands felt strongly that this business should go to a referendum. Ouch, people bex because the GOB was big enough to say, okay, we’ll hold a while, and the churches were big enough to say, thank you for holding.

Last thing on this referendum: it was obvious that the GoB wasn’t campaigning to win a yes vote. Having just come through a GoB campaign for us to go to the ICJ, we all know what one of those looks like. There must have been some hesitation in the GoB camp about going the whole hog. From the outside, it looks like prior to the EBD declaring that the churches had gotten the necessary 20,000 votes, the GoB had decided to hold off if they cleared that hurdle.

Shouldn’t grab at everything

I’ve been waiting for this assault on Louis to abate, this assault prompted by Caleb’s problem with him representing the media, because I have my own beef, and I don’t want to be in on no dohbl benk. It’s not like the brother can’t handle. That man has armies fighting for him. It’s just that I wouldn’t want the whiff of the sin of chaansi piled on my head too.

Wade’s words, while clearly not used in a sexual way, came up short of the glory. His detractors say they are using the moment as a teaching lesson. If you have any agape love, you’ll feel for Louis, because he has never used those words before, that’s my bet, and there are so, so many others who have had a free run.

Haha, it’s like a wicked little devil got into Louis. He was so, so – absolutely not, he wasn’t that “p” word that rhymes with hissed. Boy, I hate that one too, hate it – yaa, Louis was so, so feeling it, so up for this giant task of fixing the constitution. Trust me that what he was feeling was no coffee high. I’m thinking the kind of high in Brother Ramirez’s story, “Rum pahn top a rum.” Yu getting the sense.

The fire was shooting up in our brother’s bones about the task ahead, and that’s when the chaansi devil said, say it, say it. I am certain he hesitated –doI,do I–and out popped that p- word, which he must have heard for the first time while reforming unfortunate drug addicts, and that w-word that rhymes with puss, which is the equivalent of another p-word, the one that rhymes with skunk.

I did say we don’t need to be fretting too much about Louis. He isn’t going to the cross alone. You see how many people are flying in to defend his hide? Neri is here; he flew in. I hear Kerm flew in on the weekend. And that big, bad Giovanni who some people so badly misread as one who would sell out his friends and principles, well he proved them wrong; he’s at his brother’s side, ready to burn tires if it’s necessary for the defense.

Turning to my beef, I think Louis needs some history lessons. You wouldn’t want to encounter him in a physical fight if he is anything in that arena like he is in verbal warfare. Mr. Wade will grab at everything and try to use it for his end. Now, why would he grab at a Canadian soldier connected to that terrible crime last weekend in Hopkins, and say he is the type of people we are attracting with the proposed weed law?
Louis needs to learn about the history of Belize. He can start with some fun reading, with Hart Tillett’s historical novels, Exiles No More and The Reef Afire. Wounded and defeated soldiers were here, Braa. He needs to read up about the Caste War. Wounded and defeated soldiers came along with civilians, Braa. He needs to read about wounded and defeated soldiers coming to Belize after the American Civil War and settling down in the south of the country.