Bring back de Cat-O-Nine tails

Ah was never so flattered when ah young lady told me she always look forward to Lie-Za’s comments in my article. Dat was all Lie-Za was waiting to hear when ah told her what someone thought of her.

She went straight into de matter involving ah group of young (under-aged) school-boys allegedly raping de under-aged school-girl. She spoke wid ah passion foh de lickle girl, and said to me: “ley we lef de Church out ah dis, dey hiding from Rape, dey fraid dey will have to call out too many people in high places, so dey speaking out on Bug-ah-rear!” She is asking what is happening to de female population, mothers in particular in dis country, dey are de ones who can best understand de pain, de trauma, de indignity dat poor girl, de Victim feels and is feeling; while nothing is being said or heard about de boys, de lickle Macho, de Victors.

As young as these boys are dey must be punished foh dey actions. Lie-Za said she overheard talk bout Counseling. Since when is Counseling ah form of punishment; “Yes to Counseling,” she said, but Counseling during or after punishment. Furthermore she read way expert opinion is suggesting dat counseling and other Psychological Therapies can do more harm dan good, if dey are of poor quality or de wrong type. All of ah sudden Counseling takes precedent over all forms ah punishment foh simple as well as heinous Crimes. Time de woe-men who are real woe-men take to de street and protest. Crime and Violence against our young girls and boys need more dan “Ah Day of Prayer” on Heritage Square, dat Day of Prayer on Heritage Square is de Churches excuse to mek de politicians look good. What hip-hack-we-see!

Lie-Za spoke as though she got ah Lie-sin on all matters. She said, all ah we, from de Prime Minister down to de lickle man on de street does run to de Bible when its suits us, De same Bible got ah recommendation to deal wid our child rape problem. Read what King Solomon say, : “Do not withhold Discipline from a child; if yuh cut dey back-side wid de Rod (not de gun or knife) dey will not die; simply beat dem, give dem ah dose ah de good ole-time cut- back-side with de Rod, and save dem from Destruction.” Den she put me in ah spot and asked me what ah would ah do if dat were to happen to my lickle daughter.

Ah told Lie-Za she too young to know about de “Cat-o-nine tails”; dat is ah whip used as an instrument of punishment consisting of nine pieces of knotted rope fastened to ah handle,” It was used to flog people found guilty of breaking de Law. De Mad-is-straight uses to order licks in addition to ah Prison Sentence. Ah flogging of six, nine or 12 lashes, while in prison. De flogging was administered by ah prison officer, supervised by ah medical doctor. Ah remember as ah youth, one ah de youngsters in de Village got into trouble, he broke into ah store in town, he was charged, found guilty and de Mad-is-straight ordered 12 strokes foh him, he had three sessions; ah believe he still got de marks on his bottom. She shook her head in full agreement and said: “Now yuh Mr Love Vine, write bout dat in yuh Column dis week, recommend ah flogging wid ah Cat-O-Three Tails foh dem lickle miss-led, by-de-wayside boys.” Same time ah asked her if she heard bout ah four-year-ole girl who had die-ah-rear, when her Mom took her to de Doctor she was Die-ah-knows wid STD as in Sexually Transmitted Disease. Lie-Za say dat is Life Imprisonment wid flogging wid ah Cat-O-Nine tails once ah month.

AH WEDDING OFFERING

As late as it is, ah still want to wish my buddy Father George Bad-well ah Happy 90th Birthday. Wid ah Surname like Bad-well, he had to give his life to Christ and become ah full-time Priest.

Ah first met Fr G. years ago way he officiated at ah Royal Wedding in Can-One. De Groom was ah young French-man named Arnold (Can-One people called him Mr Arr-No). He was manager of Glossy Bay Hotel, ah small French Resort on de island, a very insignificant looking young, until de day of de wedding when over ah hundred Guesses came in from France. Dey were from de French Aristocracy, and Ah-No’s grand-parents were Count and Countess. When Fr George saw de costume he wore, he saw real cash; so he reminded de Guesses dat he usually conducts ah good ole Traditional Mass on Sundays, but by Sunday dey will be gone, “However!” He said, “I know you will still love to leave your offering while you are here.” And Fr G went around wid ah basket, ah never see more French notes (francs) in my life. From dat day ah befriended dis great man! I’ll go see him dis weekend an we shall have ah grand come-union. Sorry, ah mean re-union and hear one more of his Fr “George jokes.” And wid dat is gone ah gone again

One Love Bassy

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