Friday, March 29, 2024

The law is the law

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Look, Bajan people is really something else in trute, ya know. Duh want order and peace, but when laws are put in place tuh keep things under control, duh jumping up and talking a lot o’ foolishness.
Now, leh we look at some things people do and know dem tuh be against the law, illegal and very wrong, but duh doing dem nevertheless and then people who should know better does come out and lambaste the authorities, playing dat dem is the original do-gooders when any kinda action is taken against these presumptuous lawbreakers.
Bridgetown is supposed tuh be a historical place and it should be kept clean and tidy at all times so dat when it is advertised overseas and the visitors come, they could walk all through it and feel safe while taking pictures and looking at the various sites, old buildings and historic places dat Henry Fraser does be talking ’bout pon television.’
Evahbody, especially tourists, should be able tuh walk all through Bridgetown, not only Broad Street but Swan Street and all through some o’ the li’l alleys like Amen Alley and Synagogue Lane dat ya does hear the historians who trying tuh preserve our heritage talking about all the time. But duh got a lot o’ people who like duh think dat dem is the ones who running things ’bout here and should do as duh please.
Look at the situation there in Swan Street a couple months ago when the police said dat they were taking back Swan Street.
Duh ain’t only say it; the police went out pon the road and started tuh make people/vendors move duh merchandise dat had the entire entrances o’ some stores blocked up.
The police made some o’ dem move off the sidewalks and from blocking off the very roads where people had tuh walk. Would you believe dat some people, even though duh know it was wrong and against the law, lambaste the police?
 Some o’ dem playing duh talking a whole lot o’ junk ’bout how the police stopping the small man from making a dollar fuh he and he family. Ya see, duh like tuh use dah small man crap a lot and conveniently too.
All de time
You would not believe dat the police was protecting dem same people from a lot o’ lawlessness dat does go on in between some o’ dem alleys and some o’ these very people does see happening all the time.
Another thing is this: for all the years I come along and hear dat wearing camouflage clothing was illegal and ya could get locked up if the police catch ya wearing any of it. It is the law and like it or not, the law is the law and ya have tuh abide by it.
But all of a sudden it is a new trend. It looks like some very ambitious store owners decide dat dem ain’t hear nuhbody complaining ’bout it and the law like it relax pon it. So, they took the opportunity tuh make a few bucks by bringing in all sorts o’ camouflage gear.
I start tuh see all kinds o’ things in camouflage. Duh ain’t only had the usual camouflage shirts and pants; ya start tuh see the bags, hats, umbrellas shoes, scarfs, tights, all kinds o’ things in camouflage, hear?
So you would know dat dah kinda gear gine attract and appeal tuh a certain element, a certain type o’ person wid a certain type o’ mindset – male and female too. Dem is the ones who gine be buying it and wearing it all ’bout the place.
I was reading comments from some people in the newspaper the other day and had tuh say dat some o’ we Bajans real follow pattern and the other thing is dat as long as dem like something, it should be so; it is all about dem.
Wha’ dem want, dem should get. One body even went suh far as tuh say dat the law about wearing camouflage being illegal even made the world’s list of unusual laws.
I believe dat if these people want tuh wear camouflage suh bad, they should wait ’til duh go overseas and wear it evah single day.
None o’ dem
I hope ya’all see the amount o’ ammunition dat the police unearth the other day; you and I know dat the police ’bout here ain’t got none o’ dem high-powered guns but duh in here and, look sharp, dem might not even be all.
Now leh we say something serious happen ’bout here, then think about all o’ dat ammunition and easy access tuh camouflage gear. Nuhbody won’t know who is soldier from civilian. God help we.
I hope the police would stick tuh the task, keep going after this lawless element and keep law and order in this country. We old people wuk we fingers tuh the bone fuh this country and God help all o’ we now if we sit back and give way to some o’ these young people who ain’t got nothing tuh offer it nor who ain’t intend tuh abide by the laws of the land or doan intend tuh lift a finger tuh make it better.
• Mavis Beckles was born and raised in The Orleans. She has an opinion on everything.

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