Way were we when dey needed us?

Ah know ah go sound sin-ah-call. But ah keep asking me-self if is poor-rathed Hate-he dat getting all dis attention. Ah country way de world sat back and did nothing as man and mother nature rip thru it. Every leader of dat country took dey share, from de so-called Devil worshippers, Papa and son Baby Doc, to de man of God himself, de priest Pres. Aristide. Not even Mother Nature spared Hate-he, in 2008 three hurry-canes ravaged de country. Dat is ah country wid 90 percent of its tree cover destroyed, virtually ah country of Dust; de Earthquake is de ‘ashes to ashes’.{{more}}

Still being Sin-ah-call, ah wonder how many ah we who appear to be so concerned now about Hate-he, truly care. What has de region as ah unit ever done foh Hate-he? Cuba’s consistency wid helping is way ahead, long before dis Earthquake, Cuba built ah hospital and had over 150 medical doctors wuking in Hate-he. When de Cubans got dey, many Hey-shuns over 70 years ole, were seeing ah doctor foh de first time. We were never dey, and never will.

In dis situation, yuh can’t fault de USA foh showing its mite or might. Pres Obama done pledge US$100 million, plus tons and tons ah food and medicine. But Lie-Za is who remind me ‘bout de Wet-foot/Dry-foot Policy, Human Rights call it White-foot/ Black-foot Policy. If ah boat-load ah (white) anti-Castro Cubans refugees, running away from Castro, manage to mek de trip to US soil, especially Miami (Lickle Havana) dey will be given landed status, red carpet treatment. But not Hey-shuns, up until de Earthquake, if dah same boat wid only one Hey-shun refugee, manage to reach US soil, s/he will get arrested, lots ah dem get badly beaten in custody, tried and deported. If dey get bail, dey will put ah metal brace-lit pon dey foot so dey could monitor dem way ever dey go. ‘Ah Hear Dat’ is over thirty thousand Hey-shun wid brace-lit walking bout in de US. All of ah sudden is like every family in de US wants to adopt ah Hey-shun orphan. Lie-Za say ah must write say ah have an adult orphan foh adoption, She of course.

Last Sunday, dey was ah Radio Call-in program accepting pledges of money foh Hate-He, in two hours dey raised sixty-seven thousand dollars. To be honest ah was impressed, but Lie-Za again remind me dat ah year or so ago, dis same generous nation SVG, hosted ah regional Under 20 Football tournament at Victoria Park. Hate-he was among de teams and dey had h few camp followers, everybody loved how de lickle Hey-shun lads played, full ah N-ah-G and skills. But when it was departure time at de E.T. Joshua Airport, was ah sad story, money problems, dey fell short, didn’t even have dey $ 40.00 departure tax, nobody had thought of getting ah waiver, our regional ailines couldn’t wait so our twenty plus young Hey-shun guests were not allowed to leave. Was Bailey at Bay View hotel guaranteed dey tax and got dem to leave later. Such de indignity.

Reports coming out ah Hate-He is dat ah number of Hate-he’s national footballers and officials perished in de Quake, maybe some ah dem same youngsters who were here, perished as well.

GREAT RESPONSE

First dey was ah call foh clothes, ah was thinking how many ah we went to ah store to buy something new to send, never! Not when we could dig up we ole junk dat we got no uses foh. Such is de level ah indignity we got foh we so-called brothers and sisters . And every buddy happy to call in to say how much money we giving. Ah spokesperson foh one ah de local telecommunications Netwuk hey, was boasting how to date, his company has made de biggest financial contribution to Hate-he. Thanks but Way we been all de time?

Dis one beats all. My Christian brother was telling me wid pride, how his firm closed de doors to de public during de busy hour, to have staff prayers and collect an offering, de company will match funds. When ah asked him what other tangible areas he think we could help. Wid ah very disconnected answer he said: “Ah don’t think ah would want to bring any Hey-shun sisters and brothers hey, unless dey are Born again Christians”. He’s afraid dey will contaminate us wid dey Voodoo. Excuse me, shouldn’t it be ah golden opportunity foh de good “Christians” among us to demonstrate our faith as it applies to Love, patience, forgiveness, longsuffering?

Ah suppose my friend is not worse dan Tele-vandalist Pat Robinson. Remember Pat, he wanted de US President Bush to move into Venezuela and take out Shove-his. Me ain’t no Shove-his fan, but Pat is maddah dan Shove-his. His pronouncement on Hate-he is dat de Hey-shun people made ah deal wid Satan to deliver dem and dis is dey reward. So Pat’s recommendation is dat “Hey-shun people should turn to God” shouldn’t God’s people turn to de Hey-shuns”?

Frank Da Silva suggested on Radio dat we bring one hundred Hey-shun Refugee here. If yuh want to see Demon-stration and ah Guv-ah-mint change in 24 hours, ley P.M. Gonsalves say he bringing in one Hey-shun hey. Mek it worse Awe-position Leader, Eustace gone and say de Budget will crumble like de buildings in Hate-He.

Ah hope de tone ah dis article doesn’t upset anybody, and mek dem not want to donate, please give and give until it hurts. All ah want to say is dat we are ah bunch ah Hippo-crits. Hate-he was and is never considered ah part ah Caribbean Civil-lies-here-shun, ah should say never ah part ah de world. From henceforth, let’s not wait till de worse comes to de worse to act. Right now de whole world is crying: “ Hate-he we sorry, we misunderstood you, today we will turn our heads and look inside you” thank you David Rudder. And wid dat is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy

Bassy Alexander is a land surveyor, folklorist and social commentator.