De-Famo-Tree Foh De-Famo-Three

According to We-Key-pee-dey-yah, de term De-famo-shun or De-famo-tree is the act of communicating whether oral or written, false statements about a person that injure the reputation of that person. De-Famo-Tree got two children: one is Slander which is like when Lie-Za went pon Radio and spreading damaging lies pon Lie-Owe, de other one is Lie-Bell, when she followed up her orals by putting in writing de same Lie in de Newspaper.

One ah de worst thing could happen to you if yuh were to get ah phone call from someone inviting you to listen right away to Margaret, de Queen of Talk Show, Curious and quickly yuh found de Stay-shun just in time, only to hear yuh name being slandered loud and clear, by a caller, stating emphatically dat you did teef money from de company why dey fired yuh! True or false, dat is slander! de spoken word does not return, so it does not matter, yuh reputation if ever yuh had one, or yuh Bad or Good name gone to naught, dat statement done gone all over de world. As if yuh ain’t get enuff, two days after, de same mischief maker calls you on Friday begging you to read Page 9 of de Searchlight. Immediately yuh picked up de paper, and Big and Bold on Page 9 you see yuh name dis time in print: “ Worker dismissed for theft!” Truth or Lie, dat is Lie-bell!.

So it was like ‘déjà vu’ last Wednesday night when “De-famo-three” Kings from de Royal Family of protest, took turns on ah Nice Radio program to beat-up on three young ladies name Julie, Ann and Fran sister. Luckily Julie’s cousin was listening and Dug into de program and interrupted what is now allegedly blooming into De-famo-tree!
Anybody familiar wid de many Cry-sees one after de other knows dat all is not well: Top ah de list was or is de Cornelius John matter way ah senator and ah asst DPP were key figures, nutting happen, nutten happening. Ah number ah protests and demon-stray-shun have been taking place, wid ah number ah persons being targeted and charged by police, most of de charges being dismissed. Chief among de victim-eyes few are “ De-famo-tree” Kings sometimes ah few patches mek it Four-Kings.

But SVG is ah small country, everybody knows way going on, all de corruption and teft, who teefing from Go-venom-mint and who teefing in Go-venom-mint; who involved in corrupt deals. Still no one is supposed to seek dey own revenge by going on Radio or TV identifying people by names, setting dem-selves up to all forms ah “De-famo-shun,” whether Lie-bell or Slander. It is not necessary, it never was. Leave vengeance to God. The end to all dis corruption is nearer to de end dan we think.

Now wid all ah dis De-famo-shun! De-famo-tree! De-famo-three! Lie-bell! Slander, dey’s one Victim, Dug-he De Freitas, proprietor of BDS, Nice Radio. Dug-he has had to find close to ah million dollars to pay in High Courts fees foh slander charges committed by people who are hurt, victims dey are, dissatisfied wid way going on, and see no way forward. Mind yuh we must not support any misconduct, de same way we must not, or cannot support de rampant corrupt-shun we know bout dat teking place in high places. And wid dat is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy

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