Friday, March 29, 2024

MAVIS BECKLES: Opening old wounds

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RECENTLY, you have been reading in the newspaper about men getting released from prison. These is men who was charged wid committing murder. Duh went and spent some time in jail fuh the murder and now getting released back in tuh society.

Well, I ain’t know, but a lot o’ people ain’t agree wid it at all and believe dat fuh the type o’ crime dat some o’ these men would’ve committed, duh should nevah come out from behind dem prison walls. A lot o’ people think dat they should rot in jail; dat they should not be out walking bout like me and you who ain’t do nuhbody nutten.

Duh cahn understand how these men could have the freedom and opportunity tuh enjoy a laugh, go tuh the beach, hang out, even get a job and basically enjoy life like regular peaceful law abiding citizens, while dem son, daughter, mother or father, get duh life snuff out just so.

Some people does be talking bout how these men paid their debt tuh society or duh did the crime and fuh dat, they did the time. They believe dat after jail time, they should be released and given the opportunity tuh get back in tuh living a normal life again like anybody else. Tuh some people what these men went tuh jail for, wasn’t n nuh ordinary everyday crime like tiefing, breaking in somebody house or beating somebody, it is the ultimate crime. It is murder, taking another person’s life and not dat alone, it is the way duh killed the person. As they say, nuhbody cahn give life, so ya shouldn’t take one.

Some people, especially women would tell you dat rape is just as bad as murder and the men who get charged fuh rape, should nevah be allowed tuh walk bout like anybody else. Dem rule the point dat if duh do it once, they could do it again. And what about the victim? Tuh some females it does be like murder because some o’ dem never get ovah the ordeal and duh does shut down and shut out any kind o’ intimacy. So as far as they are concerned, a whole part o’ dem died, while he gets the opportunity tuh live like nutten aint happen.

Barbados is so small dat evahbody does know evahthing and evahbody is some sort o’ family tuh somebody. It ain’t like the states where when a murderer is released from prison, he could duck out and go somewhere far and start life all ovah again wid-out anybody even knowing anything bout him. But here, the pain is shared by evahbody, who know you and who aint know you.

I feel particularly sorry fuh the people whose family members get snatch away from dem just so and I know dat it got tuh be hard as hell fuh some o’ dem who still cahn come tuh grips wid it and refuse tuh or cahn seem tuh let go after all the years. So it gotta be real hard having tuh see the very body or bodies who would’ve caused dem tuh go through suh much pain all these years, getting the opportunity tuh walk bout the place, free as a bird, like nutten ain’t happen and dem cahn understand why.

I tell you, it got tuh be hard in trute. I could only imagine how Gillian Bayne’s mom did feel, cause she believe dat the same body who caused her daughter’s death, was the same body who was responsible fuh Miss Smith own.

Then there is Mr Sisnett’s son, who decide dat he ain’t want tuh talk tuh nuhbody bout his father’s death again. Dat poor fella mussee cahn bare tuh live through the experience again; but the reality is dat one o’ the men who was responsible fuh the man’s father death, just get released from prison.

Now recently, Esther Goddard, the mother of Andrea Williams, who died May 22 or 23, 2003, and left three whole children behind, was lamenting dat nobody ain’t help her raise dem children, she had tuh do it by herself. She was saying dat the system ain’t care bout the victim’s family, they seem tuh only care bout the body who do the killing. Dat while dem could come out and move on wid dem life the family is left wid the grief and the pain. She said dat she ask God tuh help her tuh forgive him; she know she can’t forget but she has tuh forgive him.

Look, only God knows what these people had tuh go through and now because o’ these releases from prison, the wounds are opened all ovah again.

• Mavis Beckles was born and raised in The Orleans. She has a opinion on everything.

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