Police Acid on Masqueraders
Cheese on bread, bread on cheese!
Did you hear the Police response to the Barbados Association of Masqueraders’ (BAM) threat not to put their Kadoment bands on the road next year unless they are guaranteed greater police security. Amanda Forde from the band Radikal spoke on behalf of BAM. President Hartley Reid spokesman for the Police Association went in on BAM fairly acid then.
”If they bring no bands next year the better for us, we will smile and stay home with our families” Hartley said. Whoa, those are some strong dismissive words. That is like saying “wha somebody care if you bring a band or not, you feel I care bout yuh, yuh idiot!” I am not saying he said that, that’s the Boyce Voice translation.
While it is good to hear the police busing… we know that if the masqueraders don’t put bands on the road for Kadoment this would impact significantly on the spectacle and climax of our Crop Over festival. And as you would know anything that affects “the climax’ is not good. We depend on Crop Over to attract visitors and needed foreign exchange. Any threat from Crop Over stake holders whether tents, calypsonians or masqueraders, could upset the delicate financial balance of Crop Over.
So it is not so simple to dismiss the threat as Reid is doing. When the economy is down another situation occurs where you get to spend a lot of time with your family. It is called being “laid off.” nobody wants that. Reid is indicating that if bands want more police protection they would have to pay for it. Entertainment promoters have been paying for police security services for years. While it sounds like an extra expense it might be the solution for BAM if they can afford it.
I still think that Hartley Reid was too hard on Amanda. She was speaking on behalf of bands whose members were harassed and attacked on Kadoment. I know at least one person who was in a band that was harassed so much they gave up and went home early. I also saw a bloodied band person in the newspaper. So when the police officer Hartley Reid responds harshly with tough words saying that if some bands had one police they had too much. That is like saying you don’t give a rats ass about the Barbadians and visitors who were in bands and were attacked.
What do you think?
If during the reading of this blog there is any thing I might have written which might have incensed or offended you, GET OVER IT! There are many things I read and hear in the media on a daily basis that I don't like either. SO DEAL WITH IT! You are welcome to leave your comments though. Make sure and come back yuh hear !!!...
August 14th, 2007 at 11:36 am
its bloody disgusting
isn’t it mate
bloody disgusting
reid’s view is not dissimilar to that of certain sectors of this society that see
cropover, calypso, masquerading and anything to do with black people as evil and a nuisance
could not believe it when i read his comments but like i said there are some persons out there who heap scorn on such things
August 14th, 2007 at 5:38 pm
I agree with the police… plain an simple..
August 14th, 2007 at 6:36 pm
LOL, they got what their deserve. Who the royal backside do they think they are, talking to the police like that.
Boycott my ass they like money to bad,try an pay for proper security and diplomatically have a meeting with the police, where everyone sits down like adults and discuss this problem in a rational manner.
This was a dumb move, by the Barbados Association of Masqueraders and their sounded like totally idiots.
August 15th, 2007 at 9:25 am
Lest we forget, this is the same Royal Barbados Police Force that declared only months ago that in essence, their main & primary interest will be in that of REAL BUSINESSES. Therefore, things such as shows, sports events, Kadooment etc. will be looked upon as a bother & an inconvenience to the RBPF. And much like the writers of the two above comments, the police force in this country don’t posses the mental capability to see past their noses, so the fallout from any type of confrontation between the police & BAM would effect the entire country INCLUDING the bubble a lot of people such as our two ‘special’ friends above live in.
When Hartley Reid could get and say that the police don’t care whether or not bands come next year, and that with 1600 people in a band somebody bound to get stab or hurt, he is basically telling the idiots out there that you are free to do what ever you feel like. I mean that is already the mentality of the would-be criminals out there so Mr. Reid is just giving them confirmation.
In a nutshell, the Police force in this country has, is & will always be as much use as a pound of salt in the damn sea.
August 17th, 2007 at 10:09 am
Mr. Reid is downright disusting… I could not believe my ears when I heard his comments on the news. It only goes to show how much they are here to protect and serve. If they are not being paid, they care nothing about civilians.
August 17th, 2007 at 1:36 pm
First of all, shame on Mr. Reid for being so insensitive! But really, all he does as a representative of the Polics Force is reflect exactly how the Force feels about the tax payers that buy their uniforms and put them in the fancy jeeps they drive bout the place in!
Secondly, I am really sorry to hear what happened to some of the masqueraders, it’s horrible and so unnecessary, mam. Why can’t we all just jump up as one in this national festival? Shame on you unpatriotic (I spell that right?) hooligans. My suggestion is for everyone to jump with BAJE, I had a wonderful time! Security was everywhere, I felt S.A.F.E. The music was sweet and the drinks were flowing (by the way mommy, all I had was sprite!)
Moo…
August 18th, 2007 at 10:06 am
anon and lisalight–two writers above
please explain what you mean when you say that you agree with the police
please clarify the statement for me because
i would want to point out a few things to you