#BTSpeakingOut – Stop insulting Bajans they voted for you

The views and opinions expressed by the author(s) do not represent the official position of Barbados TODAY.

by Hyacinth Greenidge

I could not believe my ears last Thursday when I heard a news clip of Prime Minister Mia Mottley. She was shouting aggressively that some Bajans, who are critical of COVID-19 meds being used, cannot even pronounce the name of medication.

Madam PM, this is most u-n-s-e-e-m-l-y!

Many of us Bajans continually feel insulted by you and your party mates’ tongues. Your Minister of Education and Deputy Santia Bradshaw on one occasion made an awful statement about people not having “pedigree” around this time last year during the St George North by-election. During that same campaign her father elder BLP member Delisle Bradshaw said “any idiot can play cricket”.

But your recent statement about people’s ability to pronounce a medication was repulsive to a nation that you lead. A nation you often stand before and say “we in this together”.

A nation that you tell “we is we”.

The same nation you are tasked with uniting; your words often cut deep and cause a divide.

We are not all university graduates but that does not make us stupid. We might not all be the best readers nor are we all the best pronouncers of words but that does not make up stupid.

We actually read the names on the ballot paper correctly and some of us who voted for you in the last election might not be able to pronounce the names of certain drugs but we will not be stupid enough to make the same mistake we made in 2018.

Weeks before, last Thursday during in a Press Conference on Friday, October 22 while pushing your vaccine narrative, you told Bajans that their grandparents had a tendency to apply common sense.

You urged them to follow suit. You went on to say that getting vaccinated was the only sensible thing to do.
Although I am fully vaccinated, I was left to believe that my family members, friends and loved ones who aren’t, were not “using commonsense”.

I felt insulted. They probably did too.

Even the goodly Dr Corey Forde, who this country admires and respects is now sounding like an echo of you. Months ago, he declared he was in favour of vaccine by choice but now his tone, manner and language say the contrary and many like myself are beginning to find him offensive too.

There really is no place for unwarranted name-calling, insulting, verbal abuse or divide in this small civilisation. We are not dumb, we realise this COVID-19 battle takes a heavy toll, however, the pressure and stress cannot be hurdled in the form of insults to Bajans.

It is not kind and it is not fair.

These Bajans who can’t pronounce or even in some cases spell a medication are the ones who voted for you and your slate of candidates with full confidence in 2018.

These Bajans are the same ones in your constituency of St Michael North East who you will face shortly asking them to reprise their confidence in you, yet again.

These Bajans are the same ones who have complied, for the most part, with being under curfew for close to two years now.

We are not ignorant to the fact that people have died due to COVID-19 complications. Sadly, too many. But, you are speaking to the living and key to this battle is the manner in which you rally this country TOGETHER, the same country which rallied behind you in 2018.

Your approach is counterproductive even to people like me who admire you.

Your solution cannot be shouting at us.

Some of us are mentally tired of your tirades; your constant yelling and shouting; your speaking to us as if we are minors just because things aren’t going exactly as you want them.
Lastly, a person may not be able to pronounce or spell megalomania but they can certainly spot such behaviour.

A person may not be able to pronounce or spell authoritarian but they can recognise anyone who is.

A person may not be able to pronounce or spell oppression but they know when they feel it.

A person may not be able to pronounce or spell sovereignty but they want to feel in charge of their own destiny.

See you at the p -o- l- l-s! I hope I spelt that correctly.