An-Easier choice

Ah have a soft spot foh talented Youths, and nuff ah dem dey bout. Dey’s ah young female athlete, Miss Daily from Jah-mek-her in training hey in SVG almost two years. Ah see her and her coach, Mike “Lord Have Mercy” Ollivierre every morning, beating de tracks at Arnos Vale way ah does do me own ting too. Ah Spoke wid her ah couple times, she seems excited to represent SVG at de Olympics next month, all she needs is foh de PM to say yes that she is adopted hey in Vincy.{{more}} Believe me she is dedicated and runs good times during training.

TALKING POINT

Now ah want to touch on ah pull-it-to-kill matter dat involves two young people foh whom ah have ah soft spot too, An-easier Baptiste and her “Chose-on” brother, Shuffle-on Ballantyne.

Just allow me to quote from ah book: “Render unto Caesar” written by one Charles Chaput, ah Catholic who says: “People who take God seriously will not remain silent about their faith. They will often disagree about doctrine or policy, but they won’t be quiet. They can’t be. They’ll act on what they believe, sometimes at the cost of their reputations and careers.”

He sounds here like ah Chose-on to me, but he continues: “Obviously the common good demands a respect for other people with different beliefs and ah willingness to compromise whenever possible,” end of quote. Today people getting passion-hate over people trampling pon other people’s “God Given Fun-dah-men-tell Rights!” My passion is dat God laid down de Laws, man claim dem as dey Rights, no problem, but God made dem foh all: Catholic, Thusians, Protestant, Muslim, Hindu, Jewish, Buddhist, atheist, or agnostic. God also knew man would be difficult to please so He also gave man ah ting called Choice: “ Freedom to Chose Right or Wrong!” If denominations decide to attack one another and call one another Cult, God will not stop dat, dat is what Freedom ah Choice is all about. Similarly if an Organization like de NDP say “no attack on people’s Religious belief,” dat too is ah Choice;. My take is dat if de two former members ah de NDP, An-easier and Shuffle-on who are first and foremost members ah de Chose-in Religion, differ in dey Beliefs, dey see nothing wrong in attacking other people’s Religious beliefs and practices, and dey are unwilling to compromise, den de obvious Choice is to leave; de scriptures say “Chose yuh dis day whom yuh will serve.”

De story is dat de NDP Party Executive summons An-easier to ah meeting over Shuffle-on’s negative comments made on Radio about de Roman Catholic Church. People does beat-up pon de Cat-licks, but ah will not exchange my children’s St Mary’s R.C. Education, de Hail Marys etc included, foh all de T in Tie-One. And Lie-Za just happen to know dat Shuffle-on had applied, was interviewed but was unsuccessful in getting ah wuk at one ah de same Cat-Lick Secondary Schools. Dat too was his Choice, but she say no “his more-tiff!” Dat Executive meeting was explosive and was only when An-easier got home, she figured de people pon de Executive wanted to tek way she “God Given Rights!” So she hastened to put Ink to Paper, maybe too quick on dis occasion, and didn’t forget to gee her former NDP colleagues good and plenty, 11 pages with 5, 000 words, she “P” wid ah “Eye-double- S” all over Arm-in. But foh someone aspiring to lead ah party and ah country she was very disrespectful, really unacceptable! An-easier should know, way we sow ah morning, we go reap ah evening! Sometimes Scholarship, Brilliance and Eloquence are allowed to tek precedence over de lickle delicacies like Humility, Respect and Common Cents.

Ah always say dat An-easier is Prime Ministerial material, ah still believe dat, but she got ah lot ah wuk to do on her personality. Hey’s ah message for all aspiring Pry-ministers: An-easier, Luke, Camillo, Linton, Shefflon and de rest, every Pry-minister ah dis country spent dey days in de pull-it-tek-all Wilderness: Comrad Joshua did 10 years, Cato de same, Mitchell 12 years and Gonsalves 20 years. Eustace done 11 years and still doing time out dey.

AH MODEL VILLAGER PASSES

Many years ago when Murray Village was ah model community, lots ah talented youths, music and sports, we had ah Junior and Senior steel Band, Bum Drums and String Bands, two churches, Apostolic Faith and Brother Clarkie.

Two cricket teams top and Bottom Village, we actually produced a number of National players Fred Trimmingham and Carl Glen in cricket; lots ah family rivalry ending in fights. Den in 1954, Mother Priam took over Clarkie’s Church, and ah new dispensation began, all ah de young men surrendered dey lives to Christ. Most ah dem became Pastors: Soleyn, Robinson and his brother.

Two ah de young men went wid an Evangelical Pastor name Shankwhiler, dey were George Timm and Sonny Williams. So we loss de Steel Band because dat was “Devil Music” ah beg yuh pardon! De all cleaned up de life and got married around de same time, 1954: Isaac Soleyn Married Dorris, Gideon married Sister and Timm married Alice. Timm was ah model Christian, rigid maybe too stiff, but he “walk de walk!”. He committed all his musical talent to minister de Word. Played every string instrument: Guitar, Cuatro, Banjo and was quite proficient. Ah great neighbor, peaceful, never mash an ants, but he had ah temper and maybe dat’s why nobody messed wid him or any member ah his family.

Faithful to all his commitments: his wife and family married foh 58 years; his job, many years at St. Vincent Motors and later Corea’s; and most of all his uninterrupted and untiring loyal service to God, another 58 years journey. He lived ah humble life, very respected among us Villagers. Dis Sunday we will pay our respects to George Timm who said “Good-bye World” ah week ago.

He loved to walk, all dat walking is over, Mr Timm dey riding ah Chariot all over God’s Heaven. And wid dat is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy

Bassy Alexander is a land surveyor, folklorist and social commentator.