Give me freedom and dignity
Forty years ago in de late 1960âs and early 1970âs SVG experienced an Intellectual Rev-all-yuh-shun organized by ah group ah young progressive thinkers, who were committed to challenge de status quo, speaking out at public fora against de evil presence of ah colonial enslavement dat had over-stayed its time and purpose in these parts. De Labour Party Guv-ah-mint ah de day resorted to de Miller-tree mite to destroy and crush dat movement, but all dat was accomplished was an excessive display of physical power:{{more}} Raiding and searching homes, destroying books and valuable literature, harassing suspected supporters on de streets and Airports. History will one day record de names of young these Progressives, Socialists, Black Power, Patriots de likes of John Cato, Renwick Rose, Kerwyn Morris deceased, P.R. Campbell and others who were like targets but nevertheless refused to surrender to de miller-tree-mite ah de den Cato regime. Ah wonder what PR has to say bout de Police raid on Dug-heâs home looking foh ah letter? Seems like PRâs Monday night TV program âThe Law and Youâ will have to be changed to âMe-Law and Youâ!
Prime Minister Gonsalves was alive and active as ever during dat period, he was identified and labeled ah Common-Is, treated like ah pull-it-tek-all leper, an NME ah de State wid his colleagues Walter Rodney, Tim Hector, Rosie Douglas and others. Dey couldnât stop him from coming home, didnât search his home, but he was not welcomed. And what crime did he commit? He dared to speak out in support of de Common-Is I-de-allergy. So today when eighteen policemen could spring ah surprise attack on Dug-He De Freitasâ home at 5:00 am to harass and search his premises, if is one person who should shout ah big NO! is Prime Minister Gonsalves. De big question is, did he?
Come-me-shun-her Me-Law might ah been no more dan ah small youth during de turbulent 1970âs, so he would not be able to identify with de struggle as say, his Prime Minister boss. But he needs to know dat we not going back down dat road again, and whether he was given instructions to act or whether he acted on his own judgement, dat any attempt to use miller-tree-mite to raid peopleâs home widout ah just reason, to intimidate citizens wid excessive miller-tree presence, to curtail peopleâs Freedom, to rob people of dey Dignity will not go un challenged. And it will not go unchallenged by those of us who are not afraid. God did not give us ah spirit of Fear, but of Power, Love and Strong mind. De Freedom and Dignity of every person of every race and gender is NOT a gift dispensed (handed down) by any benevolent ruler, Prime Minister or Commissioner; it is a blessing each of us received from our Creatorâ. Now tell me what criminal act or threat to dis society could there be in ah personal letter, not ah Guv-ah-mint doc-yuh-mint yuh know, ah note sent to de media dat says de boss ah de Police, bashed ah junior officer at ah meeting.
Commissioner, right now your eighteen member police raids should be concentrated in areas like Sharpes, way deyâs ah killing every weekend, not in peaceful law abiding citizensâ homes!
SISTER LYTTLE SAVE BRIAN
Ah went to look foh Sister Lyttle and her husband last Sat-dey to congratulate dem on ah double Anniversary. Think ah interrupted ah second honey-moon, dey were in great spirits having had fifty years ah marriage. Datâs great when yuh consider dat now-ah-days some marriages ainât even lasting fifty days. Donnette is not easy, she dey telling me how her daddy Hubert, should give her Mom ah Golden crown foh her fifty years ah patience. And Sister Lyttle is also celebrating forty productive years, opened five branches, ministering foh God and still winning souls. In my lickle understanding of Spiritual Gifts, ah sense dat dis great servant of God has been blessed wid ah few gifts herself. She sees things in de spirit, could tell yuh things, even when her members tricksing, she has healing powers also, people wid strong faith and belief have received healing during her intercessions. She is ah gentle and humble soul to chat wid, sadly though, I am yet to attend one of her meetings despite several invitations from her. My cousin Brian Alexander of Touch and Kaiso musical fame goes to dat church. When he was about to be baptized, he kept it ah secret, he begged Sister Lyttle not to tell me, ah know he was afraid ah would ah put his picture in de papers, just imagine ah photo of Brian blowing water thru his ears, nose and mouth like ah whale!
Ah think Sister Lyttle is one ah de best thing to happen to ah lot ah people, including dat Brian, she has led him to de Saviour and is so he boasting how no weapons from de NME shall strike him, remember ah couple weeks ago, when eighteen policemen raided PH Veira looking foh Brian, and walked away MT! Is dat kind ah Power dat confusing dem power hawks!
And so we salute Sister Lyttle and her productive Ministry, may God continue to bless and keep her well in body and spirit. And wid dat ah gone again.
One Love Bassy.
Bassy Alexander is a land surveyor, folklorist and social commentator.
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