Black Immigrant Daily News

Popular, veteran moderator and broadcast journalist David Ellis is chastising Barbadians for sitting quietly by instead of voicing their concerns to the powers that be in an attempt to bring about positive changes.

This kind of information is not available to the public. My question is, shouldn’t it?

“You all sit down in this country and go through all sorts of stuff and say ab-so-lute-ly nothing. You don’t question these things. Behave as though it is business as usual and therefore, does it get better? No! Keeping quiet doesn’t make it any better. It gets worse.

“So is it worth it to just remain silent when you paying all of these taxes and you expect that these systems are going to work for you? And if they’re failing, you have to draw them to the attention of those who have responsibility for them,” he urged.

Ellis made the comment after complimenting the organisers behind an Eye Clinic, being held at Sandals until August 11. He said that he received reports that over 300 people were in attendance for the free Eye Clinic. And he purported that someone told him the government should see this overwhelming response as proof that Barbados needs more eye clinics; at least four, were proposed.

This led him to say, “This is an area where, you hear Barbados is a place where you can get this and get that, but try to get it sometimes. The kind of stress that some people have to go through just to get that kind of public attention is immense. Because the system does not work as efficiently as it ought to. So, therefore, if there is this rush to see these ophthalmologists the question that we should be asking is, why this is happening? And what can be done to address it?

“But there is another question we need to ask, how many people can’t see because they can’t get to the ophthalmologist that would normally be available in the polyclinic and the public health system? Of course, we don’t get these details. This kind of information is not available to the public. My question is, shouldn’t it?”

He added that in today’s Barbados the predominant issues, not peculiar to Barbados, are the rise in fuel and cost of living, and most Bajans will say, “They expect that the government of Barbados to find the solutions because they elected the government of Barbados to find the solutions.”

But he challenged, “I don’t believe that that is the only way we should look at it because we are all in this together, and we have to be mindful of the fact that Barbados has limited resources and it requires more heads, more people putting their heads together to try to find the solutions to the problems. Do not buy into that narrative that comes from some that only the government has good ideas.

“The government promised you its Covenant of Hope, that there would be greater democracy, and that people should be able to participate, this is the time to put them to the test!”

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Black Immigrant Daily News

Three men were arrested and charged with robbery with aggravation and illegal possession of firearm following an incident at a supermarket in Orange Lane, Montego Bay, St James on July 31.

Charged are: Doni Malcolm, 25, otherwise called ‘CJ’, of Paradise Row; Nathan Campbell, 29, otherwise called ‘Bubinile’, a chef also of Paradise Row; and Matthew Reid, 27, of William Street in Montego Bay, St James.

Reports from the police are that about 10:44am, all three men entered the supermarket where they allegedly robbed the owner of several cartons of cigarettes and $100,000 before escaping in a Toyota Fielder motor car.

A report was made to the police who subsequently conducted an intelligence-led vehicular check point operation along the Unity Hall main road in the parish, where a vehicle fitting the description of the one the alleged robbers were travelling in was seen.

The driver was signalled to stop, and he complied. The vehicle was searched and several cartons of cigarettes were found. The men were arrested and charged after a question-and-answer session. They are to appear before the Western Regional Gun Court on Wednesday, August 24.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

A mother of three was stabbed to death this evening during a fight in Sophia, Georgetown.

Dead is Vanessa Anderson.

Reports are that Anderson and one of her neighbours were in a heated dispute when a fight ensued.

According to reports, the neighbour’s sister then ran out with a knife and handed it to her sister, who stabbed Anderson.

The injured woman was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival. The suspects have since turned themselves into custody.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

In dit artikel geeft Ivan Fernald, auteur van het boek ‘Het roer moet om. Actieplannen voor beter onderwijs’, een reflectie

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Black Immigrant Daily News

A native of Jamaica is serving in the US Navy and was part of the world’s largest international maritime warfare exercise, Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC).

Seaman Amadou Bah is an undesignated seaman aboard USS William P Lawrence, currently operating out of Pearl Harbour, Hawaii.

A Navy undesignated seaman is responsible for maintaining the ship and its life-saving equipment.

Today, Bah uses skills and values similar to those learned in Jamaica.

“My mother always taught me to work hard and keep pushing even when I may be discouraged or encounter obstacles,” said Bah.

As the world’s largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity that helps participants foster and sustain cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring safety at sea and security on the world’s oceans, a release from the US Navy Office of Community Outreach said.

RIMPAC 2022, which ran from June 29 to August 4, was the 28th exercise in the series that began in 1971.

The theme of RIMPAC 2022 was Capable, Adaptive, Partners. The participating nations and forces exercise a wide range of capabilities and demonstrate the inherent flexibility of maritime forces. These capabilities range from disaster relief and maritime security operations to sea control and complex warfighting.

The release said the relevant, realistic training programme included gunnery, missile, anti-submarine, and air defence exercises, as well as amphibious, counter-piracy, mine clearance operations, explosive ordnance disposal, and diving and salvage operations.

“The exercises are designed to enhance interoperability between partner nations,” said Bah.

Serving in the US Navy means Bah is part of a team that is taking on new importance in America’s focus on rebuilding military readiness, strengthening alliances and reforming business practices in support of the National Defense Strategy.

“The Navy provides a global presence at sea to maintain freedom of navigation,” said Bah.

With more than 90 per cent of all trade travelling by sea, and 95 per cent of the world’s international phone and Internet traffic carried through fibre optic cables lying on the ocean floor, Navy officials continue to emphasise that the prosperity and security of the US are directly linked to a strong and ready Navy.

According to Chief of Naval Operations Adm Mike Gilday, four priorities will focus efforts on sailors, readiness, capabilities, and capacity.

“For 245 years, in both calm and rough waters, our Navy has stood the watch to protect the homeland, preserve freedom of the seas, and defend our way of life,” said Gilday. “The decisions and investments we make this decade will set the maritime balance of power for the rest of this century. We can accept nothing less than success.”

Hosted by Commander, US Pacific Fleet, RIMPAC 2022 was led by Commander, US 3rd Fleet, who served as Combined Task Force (CTF) commander. Royal Canadian Navy Rear Adm Christopher Robinson served as deputy commander of the CTF, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Rear Adm Toshiyuki Hirata as the vice commander, and Fleet Marine Force was led by US Marine Corps Brig Gen Joseph Clearfield.

Other key leaders of the multinational force included Commodore Paul O’Grady of the Royal Australian Navy, who commanded the maritime component, and Brig Gen Mark Goulden of the Royal Canadian Air Force, who commanded the air component.

“Since joining the Navy, I’ve enhanced my physical fitness and live a much healthier lifestyle,” said Bah.

During RIMPAC, a network of capable, adaptive partners trains and operate together to strengthen their collective forces and promote a free and open Indo-Pacific. RIMPAC 2022 contributes to the increased interoperability, resiliency and agility needed by the Joint and Combined Force to deter and defeat aggression by major powers across all domains and levels of conflict.

As a member of the US Navy, Bah and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes.

“Serving in the Navy means opportunity to me,” added Bah. “My parents are immigrants, and I aim to be an example of growth and the pursuit of greatness.”

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