Forty-six years ago dis week, November 1975, the SVG Teachers Union went on strike foh all sort ah outstanding grievances. Premier Cato bluntly refused to even meet wid dem foh ah con-voice-say-shun. At de end of de first week dey were still at ah stale mate.

Undoubtedly de long period of silence was frustrating the teachers, so by mid after-noon dat Fry-dey 14th dey decided to tek ah “Peaceful Walk” around de town to create awareness and gather some sympathy from the public. By the time de March approached de Barracks, de Riot police, armed wid baton and (basket) shield, came out to battle, but de Teachers’ only weapon was de “might of dey pen” and de singing of: “We Shall Overcome Some Day!” De police had to mek “ah wheel and come again.” Dis time wearing dey Mas and pelting Tear Gas in the crowd! Right dey and den, history was made and de name Tear Gas Friday was penned!

Fast forward to 2021, dis Fry-dey Nov 19, should teachers commemorate Teachers Weak wid de usual “Peacefull Walk” in solidarity wid de victims of Tear Gas Fry-dey 1975, dey may now have to add “Victims of Jab-scene Fry-dey,” because those wid-out ah Jab will be widout ah Job!” And de Walk foh Peace song will not be “We Shall Overcome Some Day,” instead dey will be singing “Massah Say No Wuk Tee-day!”
Ley me repeat me-self dat I have taken two shots of de AstraZeneca Jab-scene, still dey asking me to tek ah booster. I am hearing dat dis does not prevent me from contracting de Virus, or even further spreading the Virus. I must continue to wear ah Mas and add-here to de Pro-tek-all. And dat is my reason why nobody should be forced beyond his/her Will, Faith or Belief if s/he refuses to be Vac-sin-hated.

Everyone who turns up to wuk, wid Jab or no Jab, should show proof dat s/he is Negative, and dat requires Testing. If you are tested Negative den you will enter de wuk-place; if yuh tested positive den go home, do de necessary until you produce ah Negative result. Dis “Jab or no Job is wicked and smacks of Revenge. Scriptures say Vengance is de Lord’s.

Dey’s an ole Bible Story, 3000 years ago, too long to give full details, but King Nebuchadnezzar built himself his own 90 feet tall Babylon god out ah Gold, named Baal. He passed ah Man-Doh-Tarry Law like de Come-Red, stating dat Anyone who refuses to worship his god will go home sorry, sorry, will be put in ah lake of Fire! Three of his brightest and Best, Hebrew Public Servants who worshipped our God in Faith, Truth and Love refused to bow. Dey were reported to de king who regrettably ordered dey be thrown in de Furnace. And nothing happened.

Lie-Za’s classmate sent her ah photo copy of ah tablet from the British Museum, dat was published by A. K. Grayson in 1975. It states dat “Life had lost all value to Nebuchadnezzar, who gave contradictory orders, refused to accept the counsel of his courtiers, showed love neither to son nor daughter, neglected his family, and no longer performed his duties as head of state with regard to the Babylonian state religion and its principal temple.” In other words he, Nebuchadnezzar went Insane, Crazy, Mad, turn animal, eat grass like ah cow foh seven years, our PM fancies de number 7.

Ah told Lie-Za dat ancient writings reveal dat Nebuchadnezzar went mad in his 42 year in office. Right away she ask me: “ Have we in SVG in dis our 42 year of In-deep-and-dence gone Mad like Nebuchadnezzar oo?” And wid dat is gone ah gone again.
One Love Bassy

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