THE RECENT spate of shootings, burglaries, robberies and home invasions is worrying to me, and I expect to all law-abiding Barbadians as well.
In this regard, I read with interest the story on the front page of the Nation newspaper of Monday, August 17, which detailed the account of a young man who was “counting his lucky stars” after a “close call” with masked gunmen at Whitehall the previous Saturday night.
The young adult is reported to have received a gunshot wound to his right leg in the incident for which he was treated at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and discharged. I wish him well in his recovery.
But what struck me as particularly interesting as I looked at the photos of the young man which accompanied the story, was that on his right calf, the very leg in which he was shot, peeking out from under the white bandage, was what appeared to be a tattoo of a pistol.
I asked myself, why would anyone tattoo a gun onto theircalf. I have tattoos too, two to be exact, so don’t get me wrong I’m not against tattoos. But mine are of a heart and a scorpion, respectively, not a deadly weapon.
Perhaps there is no connection between this young man’s gun tattoo and his encounter with a gun-wielding masked man in the dead of night. More than likely it is all coincidental. But I have heard it said that the imagery and symbolism with which we choose to surround ourselves, can influence our lives – for better or for worse.
Symbols represent ideas, and these ideas can be life-affirming, or they can be powerfully negative.
A word to the wise is enough.
– Andrea Graves-Bure
