Check, the purpose for the Preventative Detention (PD) initiative was to compensate for the courts’ failure to bring violent criminals to justice. We can’t get jail sentence, so we proposed to apply band-aid. Unfortunately, the not so bad would be caught in the net with the bad, so the people didn’t want it. Unfortunately, some of the bad, who are in the uniform of the good, would use the law to cause havoc among those who they do not like, or who their masters do not like. So the people didn’t want it.
Despite the obvious evil in this proposed law, infringing on the rights of citizens who try to stay within the straight and narrow, I was disappointed when Prime Minister Barrow abruptly pulled it. Honorable Barrow had said that he personally was not a favor de la ley, and had said that if there was vociferous condemnation of the PD, he would pull it. There was loud condemnation. He pulled it.
There are reports that a couple forums were held, and the PD was lambasted. Ho, ho, we all know who dominate the public forums these advanced days…Our quick on the draw, brother and sister American Belizeans, or American-influenced Belizeans.
In the pages of the Amandala, their “poster boy,” Mr. Frankie Rhys, properly thrashed the law. I expect full congratulations this weekend from that corner directed the PM’s way, for his coming to his senses. Brothers and sisters, respect and love to that crowd. They sprang OJ Simpson, and they protect children from corrective paddling. That’s the world order in that former British colony just north of Mexico.
They were not alone. The PUP party, in the order of Opposition parties, came out heavy against the PD. There was the sense that lawyers in the, ehm, criminal field weighed in against the PD. The radio waves were against. This column was against what had been presented on the PD.
A few respected elders in the society – Janus, and ex-Ombudsman, Mr. Paul Rodriguez, threw their sober first takes into the pot. Unfortunately, Belizeans who take time to ruminate over matters before dehn taak, never got to weigh in on PD.
The PM had informed that there would be a special committee manned by responsible Belizeans to oversee the PD. Not good enough. The PM had indicated who were to be especially concerned by the proposed law. Not good enough. He heard the loud response, so he rushed off and threw out the baby with the bath water.
The serious debate on PD never happened. Where were the school debates? Where were the debates at Junior College, Galen, and UB? Where were the debates at Holy Redeemer Parish Hall? Was the proposed law ventilated so that all of us could read it, or hear it in its entirety? No! Minor rumblings from the Belizean/American crowd, first remarks rolling in on the airwaves, and the PM pulled it.
I had thrown my two cents against PD. That position was my position, and in fact, based on what I have heard and read, is my position. Still, I was waiting for full ventilation, and the serious debates.
My suggestion (ambitious) was that we should tweak the laws so that we can get convictions for violent crimes. If people who insist on resolving their problems violently are behind bars, there is no need for PD. But, these local lawyers are afraid to touch anything the British masters left with us. Sad. Recently some suspects walked because someone who had testified against them when a case was hot, changed their mind when the case was cold…and the threat of death was brought to them. In the end nobody will testify in the courts of Belize. In the end it will be the responsibility of victims’ families to avenge their deaths, or cry and hold on tightly to their Bibles. Failed state!
Judging from the stern drug law the PM got passed while he was AG in a former government, it is hard to suggest that he was toying with us on the matter of the PD…that he secretly prayed to see that bill die. Really, Honorable Barrow seems to ACTUALLY, SERIOUSLY want to listen to people other than dyed-in-the-wool red wolves. I bet he still has a special ear for them (red wolves basking in the sun of power over blue hats and all comers), but maybe they will not get the full sound effects in both.
The way the PD was presented, it was set for rejection. Honorable PM, tell us what we need to do to bring back the PD. Mek wi discuss our ideas. For example, suppose the law specifically said that ONLY people who had been convicted of a violent crime could be held under the PD, or have their private conversations monitored? Quien sabe, there might be a few takers. We need to read this law in full, discuss it, and propose amendments.
P.S. The guts of all bills of this nature should be published in the Amandala, so everyone has equal access in this democracy.
The floods are DOE’s baby to explain
Sincere condolences to the families that lost loved ones in the weekend floods, and sympathies too for those who have been displaced, or lost possessions. My, every tragedy we have seen on television has come to Belize. The scenes on the devastation are just astounding. There are losses in the north, east, and west, and absolute chaos in the south.
I saw the pictures of “Malanti” under water. Incredible. I saw the devastation along the Hummingbird Highway, and along Sittee River. Impossible. I saw the gap across the river where the Kendall Bridge once stood. Years ago when they constructed it, they said that it was way out of the reach of floods, so that crossing was secure. Were we over confident and did not secure the bridge footings to face the unthinkable top gyalan?
The south of Belize is used to heavy rain. Years ago when I lived and worked in the Valley, my boss, Mr. Natividad Obando, gave me the responsibility to monitor the rainfall for the farm at Alta Vista. I left the farm one Saturday at mid-day and returned on Monday morning. First thing I went to check the rainfall gauge. It had overflowed its 10" capacity. So, I recorded 10"…plus.
There was national concern, especially for the thousands of acres of land that had recently been tilled for the grain season, when we learned of the storm Alma off the coast of Nicaragua, and saw that its remnant was projected to pass near to Toledo. Coming so near the Caribbean Sea, warning bells went up in every serious seafarer that it would cross over and re-form. On Saturday evening, the Weather Channel reported Tropical Storm Arthur off the north coast of Belize, heading Yucatan way, and forecast 10" to 20" of rainfall. Whoo!
Monday morning, Minister Hulse shocked us with the terrible news coming out of Stann Creek. We later learned that up north had also suffered serious flood damage. The Belize Weather Bureau has some serious explaining to do, because they didn’t prepare us for Arthur. If Arthur had drifted out to sea it could quickly have become a hurricane.
In respect to what the floods did in the Stann Creek District, that is the DOE’s responsibility to explain.
Serious environmentalists have been warning for a long time that our wanton land use jeopardized Belize; that we were playing with fire. We have to talk about land clearing at the foot of, and on the mountainside in the Stann Creek District. We have to talk about the health of the Pine Forest in the Stann Creek and Cayo Districts. We have to talk about the Vaca Dam, and the Chiquibul Forest. The DOE has a heck of a lot of explaining to do.
Get well note to Mr. Smokey
Mr. Smokey Joe call we Kriol “a bunch of freaks” the last time he was on his Wednesday night show on KREM, but we noh gat no haad feelings. Word is that Mr. Smokey has been under the weather a couple weeks now. He has been off the KREM Show, and his column did not appear in last week’s Amandala. Get well soon, Mr. Smokey Joe.