Here is NEWS that was mailed to my readers on September 3, 1998:-
September 3, 1998 Bajan News ------------------ Securities Exchange of Barbados (SEB) ------------------------------------- Outcries of "foul" and "Resign !" are ringing out over a decision by the board of the SEB to waive the normal share transfer fee for the largest transfer of shares in SEB history.... 299 490 742 shares in CIBC West Indies Holdings Ltd. a sale which was valued at $1.9 billion.. and should have netted the SEB about $9.6 million, instead the directors voted to accept a paltry $100,000, the sum suggested by CIBC, the applicant ! The chairman of the SEB is also a senior executive of CIBC, and even though he did not participate in the vote... the public is asking, "to what extent did a conflict of interest come to bear on the Boards decision ??" Late last year, a highly-controversial Pine Hill Dairy deal also caused a big stir, and the public is not going to tolerate much more. In view of the fact that the average rank-and-file Bajan is now buying shares a full public disclosure is being demanded and the manner in which the Board makes it's decisions must come under examination. Apparently, Governments two representatives on the Board both voted against the waiver, efforts to get a statement from Prime Minister Owen Arthur (who is also Minister of Finance) were unsuccessful, however, sources in the Ministry of Finance suggested that Government might set up a watchdog committee to monitor the activities of the SEB. With elections right around the corner, and the opposition accusing the administration of only paying lip service to the policy of black economic enfranchisement, I think that Owen Arthur is doing the smart thing in not giving a hasty answer, that he might later have cause to regret. De-Mutualizing the MUTUAL ------------------------- There was some talk about changing the form of the Barbados Mutual Life Assurance Society (BMLAS), one of the oldest and wealthiest financial institutions in Barbados. Their slogan is "ALL profits belong to the policy holders" and today these policy holders consist mainly of average-income black Bajans. Professor Hillary Beckles, one of the leading champions of black economic enfranchisement, indicated that ANY proposed changes to the Mutual structure would not occur without a fight. The issue has dropped from the limelight, at least for a while. South Coast Sewage Project -------------------------- Miniser of Health, Liz Thompson, announced on Monday that Contract Two is about to start on September 15 and the great work should end around the middle of year 2000. The minister could not say what the cost overruns would be... The original Contract with Fomento Y Cubiertas was terminated on January 2. The new contractors are Kier International and Why-Dig Technology. The minister said the new companies have been "sensitised" about the problems with the last contractor.... Geee, Liz, you politicians are something else.. I said in previous news, EITHER Government was deliberately "conned" OR the last contractor was totally INCOMPETENT. FLOODING -------- We have had a lot of rain from the "tropical depression" and Headley's Land (in Bank Hall, St. Michael) residents are crying "Enough!"... they are fed up with flooding... they are blaming a poorly designed drainage system which they say makes the situation worse. MP for the area is Branford Taitt, and with elections around the corner if he can't get it sorted out fast... he could lose some votes.... he seems to be having some "difficulty" getting the matter attended to. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------- DO NOT READ what is below if you are a "sensitive", "decent" or "refined" PERSON... EXIT immediately... and I thank you for your patronage !! BELOW IS GRAPHIC MATERIAL ABOUT VIOLENCE AND SEX... you have been warned ! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fright Night ------------ Violence errupted at both the Miss Vauxhall Netball Club Beauty Pageant and miles away at Adrianna's Entertainment Complex in Speightstown on Saturday night. The Vauxhall incident occurred when police from Oistins Station briefly held a man for questioning, a group of young men, angry at what they saw as police harassment of one of their own, overturned chairs and behaved in a threatening manner. Member of Parliament for the area, Joe Edghill, was attending the function and he seemed to achieve a measure of success in reducing the tension after talking with the young men, many of whom were known to him, however, Special Constable French, is now on sick leave after being struck with a bottle on the left side of his face. At Adrianna's, where hundreds turned up for a going-away fete in honour of Cindy Rouse, popular radio personality from HOTT 95.3 FM station, the Krosfyah band was forced to leave the stage after fighting broke out between groups of young men on the dance floor, one man was beaten about the head. Also on Saturday night, in a gunfight in the City between two teenaged boys, a 16 year old (Nicholas Wood) was shot in his right ear. The incident is alleged to have occurred over drugs that were missing. In, today's paper (Wednesday) Shawn Leon Hackett (17), of Kew Road, Bank Hall and Tramaine Patterson Dean (19) of Skeete's Road, Bank Hall have been charged in connection with the incident. Politicians and police have asked the public not to be alarmed at the recent upsurge in violence, the wider public is "not in any danger", since the violence is concentrated among young men who "exist on the fringe of society".... I should not be reporting this mayhem to you, after all, it's ABSOLUTELY SAFE in Barbados... I sometimes get up in the night and go for a leisurely stroll at 2:00 a.m.... it's really nice and peaceful... and if I do meet anybody, they are always very polite... so please don't be frightened away. SEX AMONG STUDENTS ------------------ Rev. Holmes Williams of The People's Cathedral on Bishop's Court Hill, has renewed his attack on what he sees as "an abomination of sexual practices" among Bajan schoolchildren as young as 11 to 13 years. I say children have sexual feelings you know... the ONLY way you will ever get them to TRY to control their sexual appetites... is by EXAMPLE.... Check out this scenario.... children with friends (boys and girls) left alone in the house and a pile of truly "hardcore" PORNO tapes left CARELESSLY and CONVENIENTLY beside the video machine... would you be surprised to learn that they WATCHED the tapes for HOURS and were so influenced that they had an ORGY of their very own ??? All were under 14 years old. Is it "right" for even ADULTS to sit and watch that stuff for hours ? IF the ADULTS in this particular house really LIKE that kind of "movie"... do you think that "hiding" the tapes will make much of a difference... like perhaps produce "angelic" children ??? Occasionally, a "Christian" child comes out of one of these houses of "sin"... how do you explain that ? I guarantee that your "explanation" will vary depending on whether you, yourself, are a "Christian" or not... As adults you "indoctrinate" your child and try to mould it's life according to your "ideas"... and the state recognizes this "right", up to a point. At what age, does the child have a right to choose a different path ?? We had a case in Barbados where two teenage girls "rebelled" at the MUSLIM way of treating women... these girls wanted to dress the way they wanted, they wanted to enjoy the benefit of education that was being denied them. They sought the asylum of a friends house... and the protection of the law.. against Muslim retribution.. against being returned to their parents. In another incident, a 13 year old girl voluntarily "gave sex" to 3 boys in gang-bang fashion... the boys ages ranged from 14 to 19 years... the response of male friends, on hearing of the incident, "I wish I had been there to get some too !" Finally, a middle-aged woman signed a 14 year old boy out of school for the day, drove him to her apartment... and "they had a great time"... the boy thought he had gone straight to "heaven"... and was more than willing to indulge the woman's wildest fantasies ! The LAW would have difficulty with the one above, but if a middle-aged MAN had picked up a 14 year old GIRL and the same thing had occurred... the MAN would be JAILED ! It would make NO difference, if it was the GIRL's idea to "do it" in the first place. I believe in the "rights" of the child... up to a point. As a child I did exactly as I pleased with very little restriction... my parents guided... reasoned... tried to influence... but never really "forced" and I had so much freedom and "power" in the house... that I was the envy of my friends... I could stay out late.. and do anything I liked. I made some "wrong" decisions and I have "suffered" the consequences... but I would not exchange "freedom" for anything ! If adults cherish freedom... don't children as well... are you going to abuse them just because you are bigger and stonger than they ? NONE of the above true incidents will involve the police or even the parents because the children acted VOLUNTARILY... violation of the child's will could (and most definitely SHOULD) result in a CASE and CONVICTION ! Where the LAW is flawed, is that particularly in the case of a YOUNG FEMALE, she is denied the right to do with her own body, sexually, as she wishes... while society does not prohibit males in the same way... except in the case of homosexual involvement... is this right ? The universal right of all humans at any age to do as they wish with their OWN BODY must be recognized... while violation of a persons will, in respect, of their person MUST always be seen as a CRIME...
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