Long Live Freedom of Expression

Can you play an instrument like ah Pan, Guitar, Keyboard, Drums? What music genre do yuh play: Soul, Rock ‘N’ Roll, Blues, Jazz, Reggae, Kaiso? Do yuh have any talent like ah singer, musician, band leader, music teacher, song writer? Do you know any conscious brother who participates in every movement against any political or social oppressive system? Well I do and dey’s only one individual, ah Vincentian artiste who wears all those hats. Robert “Patches” Knights-King, ah misnomer, no King or Knight is ever mal-treated and harassed by police in his homeland like Patches, ah noble senior citizen.

So yuh will overs when ah say dat me eye-water ran dry de other night, looking at ah live interview on TV wid Patches describing his ordeal of being arrested again foh de umpteenth time, made to to sleep in ah cell at de Police Barracks wid Fee-Seas a.k.a. Sh….t clumped on de prison floor and plastered on de walls. All this happened last Thursday night after police arrested de small group of protesters, actually “Freedom Fighters” dat Lie-Za describes as “de Four Kings,” Luzette, Adrianna, Patches, and Kenson who arrived late on Thursday and missed being arrested. Dey were picketing outside Par-liar-mint and resented an ordered by police to keep 100 yards distance from de Court House Compound. Lie-Za say dat very soon Picketing and Protest outside Par-liar-mint will be banned.

If readers want to know why protesting is not entertained by dis ULP regime, just tek ah quick read of chapter 1 of Historian Doctor Fraser’s Book” The 1935 Riots in St Vincent,” 88 years ago, Fraser write dat: “de Govenor addressing de RGA (Parliament), reported dat de Colony was running at ah Financial Loss foh de last four years.” So dey introduced ah new ridiculous tax measure on some very basic items

Today older folks still maintain dat one ah de reason why de people rioted in 1935, was because Government raised de price ah matches, three packs ah matches foh ah penny was increased to one pack foh ah penny. Protestors were enraged and took over de Court House compound, serious incidences took place, de Attorney General got two cuffs foh kicking someone, and Fred Hazell got he head buss in two places. Who knows it feels it, ask de PM.
So one could only imagine last week, when officers reported to dem in de House, dat de protestors outside wid placards saying dat Go-venom-mint treating NIS money like dey personal Piggy Bank. Or dat one placard asking how come ah half-blind 69 year ole man, got ten months in prison foh brandishing ah gun at ah 24 year ole man, while on de other hand, nothing is heard about de matter way ah lawyer allegedly went into Cornelius John’s yard, brandish ah gun and John was shot in his foot. Is dem kind ah thing dat does trigger awareness and possible unrest. So lie-Za could be right when she say sadly, very soon when Par-liar-mint meets we will have to reach Arnos Vale to read what dem Four Kings Freedom Fighter got written pon dey placards. Long Live Freedom of Expression. And wid dat is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy