It is ironic that we are on lockdown and under quarantine during a State of Emergency, yet the changes from one minute to another are not on any form of lockdown. I have not seen a situation change so rapidly from minute to minute, and neither have I seen our legal rights shift so rapidly without sufficient notice at times. But I appreciate the nature of the situation because neither have we ever seen anything like COVID-19 hit us!
Truth be told, COVID-19 should be seen for the good it can result in. These in my mind are: 1. We get to know in real time how robust our economy is and how the management of our coffers is being handled to deal with an emergency; 2. We get to test our tolerance level and ability to survive; 3. We also get to see the humanity or inhumanity in others! This third one is a big one, because while I totally agree that our government holds a tremendous responsibility to lead and look after the citizenry — us the people, we the people must likewise do our share. We must seek to comply with the rules and regulations, but we must also seek to look out for others, and do our part to help others. If we wait for any government, as our elders would say, “horse will starve while grass di grow!” I am praying that amidst this tragedy, we the people find a heart and show compassion, and empathy.
Also needing much empathy from us, are those who have been afflicted with the disease. Of the 18 confirmed cases, we already have had two deaths. This is very heartbreaking, and we are praying that the death toll does not rise any further. However, the good news to me about us knowing who tested positive and died, is that it has prompted more aggressive testing and has forced the authorities to widen their mapping and testing, and if we believe our leaders, more test kits are on the way.
Condolences to the family of Conrad Everett, Patient #10, who passed away but whose death has helped authorities to unearth what appears to be our ground-zero, which was at the party held on 14th March, 2020, upstairs Plaza Diner, which was attended by Mr. Everett. The Government has issued a call for anyone who was at said party and has displayed symptoms of COVID-19 to come forward. However, I would go a step further and ask anyone who was at that party to come forward, simply because there have been instances where the incubation period is as much as 34 days, according to some world reports. COVID-19 is just making its way into Belize after making its landfall on an unknown date, but the earliest date is 14th March, 2020 so far. I say, only out of extra precaution, that it is best that more people come forward and that more testing is done, since these asymptomatic cases are the silent transporters of COVID-19, unknown to the unsuspecting carrier.
COVID-19 Media Moments
I think right now the leaders are relieved that due to social distancing they no longer have to feel obligated to give press conferences or briefs, and as such no media person can ask the questions. Issuing pre-recorded statements and going live on Facebook and ignoring the questions being typed when it does not suit their agenda, has been the perfect excuse for our leaders not to be fully accountable during these times. Sadly, the Prime Minister, especially, was already condescending and insulting to certain news reporters, and I guess not having to deal with them directly is a relief!
However, my honest view is that now, more than ever, the media should be able to hold them accountable and press on, asking the difficult questions. If I as a citizen am willing to give up my civil liberties under the Constitution, it has got to be in return for more transparency and accountability; after all, I am giving up a lot, so the leaders must account for whatever decision they make in my interest while I am under shut-down and give up my freedoms of liberty, movement, association, to work, even some privacy. Sadly, in keeping with their culture of entitlement, many of our leaders are bothered by the fact that we demand accountability. Effectively there is no Loyal Opposition of her Majesty as is described in the Constitution, so the media must even more so do their part. It is in times like these that a well-trained and well-oiled media machine will do us good. However, we know that too many have their own political agenda. Thanks to social media, however, we now have onsite, self-made reporters and field agents, or whatever you want to call them. “This ya time dah noh like befo time,” old people would say, because our access to information and to provide information has been revolutionized by technology.
One lead official who surely went beyond declaring his role in the issuance of the COVID-19 Unemployment Relief effort is no other than former chairman of the Social Security Board, Douglas
“Doug” Singh. By now, many may have heard the 16-minute recorded interview of him and reporter Aaron Humes, in which Singh uses much profanity, insults the poor and unemployed and is callous to their plight and makes light of the fact that many are applying as if they are entitled to any relief. His words at the start of the interview are: “It is a very funny thing … you want my opinion? It is hard to listen to people complain when you are giving them something for free …”
Nothing is for free
Clearly, Mr. Singh believes that the monies being collected to assist the unemployed are being given for free, and he seems to forget that these formerly employed people paid taxes, and that even those hustling and thus not in the formal employment sector pay taxes such as GST each time they purchase an item. I recall from an Economics 101 class that “there is no such thing as a free meal,” so someone will pay for those millions being either borrowed or taken out of our taxes to create this relief fund.
However, the arrogance of thinking and expressing the disdain with which he views those homes or “crack houses” and the misogyny in his reference to women are reflective of the mindset the needy people of this country must battle in order to get basic help at a time of a crisis and a declared State of Emergency. Under normal circumstances many of these people would not go out seeking unemployment relief! He, however, failed to process two key issues:
1. He is mistaking genuine persons needing help due to the loss of a salary, with those whom the very political party he supports, has weaned into a system of hand-outs and dependency and who are thus easily called upon for political patronage and rallies once a few dollars and a t-shirt are provided. He has been part of that very system and he, as former chairman of the UDP, knows first-hand the tactics political parties employ to keep people poor, dependent and beholden to politicians. That serves his interests when it is to get votes, but it does not serve his interests when those very same people are in dire need as a result of a shutdown and slow economy due to the threats of the pandemic.
2. He also seems to forget that it’s the people’s money at SSB that pays his well-cushioned stipend to chair the board, and also pays his expenses as Chairman of the Election and Boundaries Commission and provides him his monies as director of BTL. These are the monies of the people that pay him; the same people he seems to now look down upon in times of need. He fails to see that it is his access to resources and political power that has given him much social status and economic advantage, thus he is in a privileged position and has been entrusted with a public trust, and as such his attitude towards the very people who pay him is telling of him, not of those he snobs!
If you have not heard the interview and are reading this, I advise you to go listen to appreciate the context within which I make these comments.
On the record
As is expected in Belize, unwillingly reporter Aaron Humes became the messenger, and those who for some reason could not deal with the message decided to attack the messenger. One such person is no other than Orson Picart. Picart writes: “While it is that the leaked recording was salacious and Doug Singh was caught being candid, it goes to show the length some in media are willing to go to allow political milage [sic] for self and their bosses. I am personally appalled and condemn the action taken by Aaron Humes and or his employer. As a journalist, the practice is to ask the considered subject if we can record him or her which will then allow for us to quote or paraphrase the person in a story to be written later. The intention is never to disparage the subject’s [sic] reputation, but in this case the gross misconduct of Aaron did just that…” He even went as far as claiming that this recording “has been weaponized to create a wedge between people along political lines…”
Of course I disagree with Picart and his bold attack against a colleague, and likewise I disagree with Renee Trujillo and Jules Vasquez. But the reality is that in Belize very few get formal media training to be journalists, and I mean going to school to be certified, as was done in my days when we attended CARIMAC in Jamaica. Picart started as a disc jockey and Trujillo as a radio announcer and ended up in the newsroom. Julies understudied me when I started the news section of Channel 7 some 25 years ago. They all need to remember that 101 Media is that as a media person you need to declare your bias. None of them have done so in deciding to launch their attack on the competition! Here was my response to Picart, in part, as I publicly called him out after pondering how he did not show such disdain for the disrespect Singh showed to both the journalist in using such profanity during an interview and for the degrading remarks made about the people he is to help and serve. As written to him I stated:
1. When a journalist calls a public official for an official comment, that is clearly an on-the-record comment that the interviewer has made known – Aaron did this!
2. Doug Singh at no point asked to be off the record, and he totally volunteered all that information you heard; at no point did I hear Aaron leading him on, giving him false assurances that he will not use the information.
3. Doug Singh was NOT approached as a “confidential source”, which journalists MUST protect at all cost… no, this is NOT the case here!
4. Why are you writing as though poor Doug is a victim when he is not new to this. He has given countless interviews and on the contrary his language showed much disdain for the journalist and all those curse words for a person who is not off the record surely show absolutely no respect for Aaron Humes… maybe it’s a men’s thing that you think it’s cool for him to be cussing out in every sentence. He set the tone and he got “F*&^!.”
5. As a journalist Aaron had every right to write down verbatim everything Doug said and use it in his report; the fact that those days are gone when we write and now we record every interview so as to be accurate, is not unethical or illegal!
6. Could Aaron have reminded him [the ex-chairman] he was on the record and being recorded when he was alarmed by the candid and rude nature of the ex-chairman and his nasty and disrespectful self —yes he could, but he was under no obligation to do so!
7. Did you listen good to the tape to realize that Singh didn’t even give Aaron a break to finish explaining about the purpose of the call and he went off on Aaron? You missed that! And you say things will get more challenging for the media … pleaseeee, they have no respect for the media. At the press conference you hear how the PM berates the media and Marisol is often the target! Do you realize the media likes to kiss-up to them instead of doing true investigation and deep reporting? I applaud Aaron for finally helping Doug get out his own dirt and dirty-minded language and talk!
8. Do tell me how this is weaponized? Please tell me if Aaron edited it to make it say what was not said? Or if it’s a lie told on Singh? Please tell me what is the weapon? Because it is Singh who is the weapon against us, the people, and your only lament is that his arsenal is revealed!
9. But please do show me the journalistic manual that says a journalist cannot disclose his notes, use it to write a book, or make it public, or is it only that you do not like that the entire tone that could be heard in the recording paints a picture that can never be captured in a written report?
10. Have you forgotten that the material an employee gathers during the course of employment belongs to the employer? Why are you attacking Aaron when you haven’t even inquired if he had anything to do with the release of the recording, which is not illegal? What you have against the brother? Declare your bias as any trained journalist should!
11. Politics??? Mein, you know better that politics is the science of power, and here is clearly the politics of a man in power with no empathy and heart for the people and who gloats about it! But it’s okay that you have not dedicated an entire post to attack this elitist, nasty attitude but have done so against a fellow self-made journalist, who did his work, but you have a problem with it! Yes, he could say, “I’m recording you”, but from my end as a public figure, once I speak to a journalist I operate on the premises that everything is on the record, unless I say otherwise, which I sometimes do!
12. In the comments [on FB] you said Aaron Sandbag Doug, so please tell me how he was “sandbagged,” because I listened to that recording several times, and surely Doug Singh took over the entire interview and was on a roll, with no regard or respect for the journalist. He just used the most profane language and failed to realize that indirectly Aaron told him that he and his family fall within that same category of people he was cussing out. Singh was unapologetic in his words, tone, and arrogance… tell me, did Aaron lie on him? Did Aaron misquote him? Did Aaron mislead him that the information was NOT for a news report?”
It is a pity that this situation shows that for many it is easier to shoot the messenger and not the message. They prefer to ignore the message although it speaks the truth about the situation and character of those who are at the helm of the COVID-19 relief efforts. Stay safe, Belize!