Now that the news is sinking in about John Zabaneh and the potential negative consequences of being blacklisted by OFAC, people are coming to his defense saying that he has done so much for his community and Belize as a whole by creating jobs and providing community support. It is a consideration…maybe. What is the cost of these jobs and money generated by his portion of the banana industry? Can we honestly say it’s worth it to be a part of a world wide drug war to have a couple hundred jobs? Do we care that many families are affected by drug trafficking in ways we can’t begin to fathom just so we can have a few jobs that people are saying is mostly worked by illegal aliens anyway? What are the real life consequences we can expect or is it much ado about nothing and we will see business as usual in a hotttt minute?
Daily Dingleberry by Fayemarie A Carter
So toucans eat insects, eggs, lizards and berries EXCEPT dingleberries. Everyday, we would like to share some kind of pet peeve or annoyance we experience as we engage with others in political discourse. This way, we can address them without detracting from the posts we make or allow hecklers to derail us unto some tangent. Hopefully, some of you will share your pet peeves and annoyances too :)
Daily Dingleberry 08-09-12 Zetas vs Sinaloas: Should We Be Concerned?
Our Future?
Ok so the Sinaloa Cartel is reputed to be Mexico‘s oldest and most powerful criminal organization while the Zetas are newer, decidedly more vicious and determined to take over the territory once comfortably held by the Sinaloas. The Zetas once served as the muscle for another cartel, the Gulf but they broke off because they wanted a bigger piece of the pie…what pie you ask? Oh just that area along the Gulfcoast of Mexico which extends into CENTRAL AMERICA…or what just happens to be our country of Belize. The irony is that many of the members of the Zetas are ex military once charged with protecting the people they now terrorize. Members include deserters of Mexico’s elite airborne special services and Guatemala‘s Kaibiles, a special unit trained by the US. Yes, I said the US. The other members come from the Sinaloa Cartel itself, former members of the Beltran Leyvas, an affiliate of the Sinaloa Cartel. These members believed that Guzman, Sinaloan head honcho, ratted out their top commander Alfredo Beltran Leyvas and his successor Arturo Beltran Leyvas.
Greeeeaat.
Now we have the perfect recipe for extreme cruelty and mayhem: military training, desire and greed for more territory and an intense need for revenge. Before the Zetas entered the picture, the Sinaloa Cartel kept things calm. They had a place in society and were reluctant to stir things up as it were. They were unwilling to attract attention to their criminal activity. The Zetas? They don’t care so much. They make grand statements of intent making their presence firmly felt with very aggressive acts such as beheadings and multiple massacres, often piling up the bodies in central plazas. Since they have entered the drug business, murders have quadrupled. Yes, that’s 4x more than before. And the problem is they don’t care who they kill. Often, innocent people are caught up in the fracas. Anyone who is suspected to be of the Sinaloa Cartel or if you happen to be related to one of its associates, you are fair game for attack in this bid for control of territory, which brings me to my point: Now that these business men, John Zabaneh, Dion Zabaneh and Daniel Moreno have been identified by the US as associates of Sinaloa Cartel, have they been marked with a big bulls eye on their backs? What about their families? Will the Zetas see a point of weakness and attempt to infiltrate and make this territory theirs? One of their favourite tactics used to announce their presence is kidnapping. Who wants to live with that constant fear that you will just be scooped up and used as a pawn in someone else’s game? And these days? They done gone hi-tech. The threats are often sent via email. Wow.
We, as a nation, have been playing with fire for over 30 years. Is it time that we collectively get burned? I better start seeing an increased US military presence in that case ’cause ahm…they kinda got us into this mess………alright, alright! People like the Zabanehs did but the US revealing their names to world and most importantly, the Zeta/Sinaloa world, made our tiny, under-defended, under- prepared nation a giant berry ripe for the pickin’.
Daily Dingleberry 08-08-12 Do We Really Want to Get Rid of Corruption and Crime?
Who Gwein?
In light of the US blacklisting three Belizean business men, John Zabaneh, Dion Zabaneh and Daniel Moreno, I just have to ask this question: Are we really ready for a sweep? We all say we are tired of the crime and dead bodies piling up. We are afraid to sleep easy lest someone breaks into our houses and harms our children. We bemoan the sad fact that it has become common place for bullets to graze our heads in drive bys or in our case, “bicycle bys”. It is very clear that the cartels are setting up shop in our tiny, very strategically placed country. Many of our friends and neighbours have gone from living in wooden shacks to owning concrete monstrosities cause hey, let’s face it, just cause you have money don’t mean you got style. (smirk) But sarcasm aside, we congratulate them, perhaps even envy their good luck and admire their ability to evade justice. We, as a society, have accepted this lifestyle and even appear to condone it as we turn a blind eye and point to them as examples of success. We wash their blood money clean as we take their generous donations in our churches and schools “for the children”.
Here’s the thing. This drug culture has infiltrated every facet our existence. It’s the obvious hustler on the street, the walking dead strung out on crack…but they aren’t the real problem are they? The problem is the customs officer who looks the other way, pocketing a few hundred dollars. It is the police “losing evidence”. It is the minister shaking hands over business deals to launder millions. It is the mother practically selling her daughter for bags of groceries and jobs for her sons. What are we going to do when all this is revealed and our “benefactors” are faced with a list of criminal charges as long as the Litany? Are we strong enough to turn from temptation of material wealth, new found prestige and status in order to clean up our communities? Who is going to step up to change the future of our country from being known as the “asshole of the world”?
Given that so many of us have our hands in the cookie jar, I don’t think the queue will be very long. But then again….maybe we wont get a choice. Big Brother is waving his big stick….and we about tah get a smack down.
Daily Dingleberry 08-07-2012 Well Well Well…What The Hell?
So, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control is declaring that NO American can do business with five companies under the control of John Zabaneh and two of his associates, Dion Zabaneh (his nephew) and Daniel Moreno. These companies include: Mayan King Ltd.; Mid-South Investments Ltd.; Crown Paradise Enterprises Ltd.; Belize Chemicals Ltd.; and D’s Supermarket Company Ltd. Why? Because the DEA finally after hmmmmm 30 years got their shit together enough to prove that John Zabaneh is a prominent drug trafficker in Central America, especially Belize, with ties to Colombian and Mexican drug cartels namely the Sinaloa Cartel. The Sinaloa Cartel has been declared by the US Intelligence Community as THE most powerful drug organization in the world, making an estimated $3 billion a year in revenue and partly responsible for the 50,000 drug related deaths in Mexico since 2006.
So what now????? What does that mean for Belize? Our government? Who’s next on the list?????
Read the full story here: http://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/tg1674.aspx
For more on the Sinaloa Cartel, read: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/17/magazine/how-a-mexican-drug-cartel-makes-its-billions.html?pagewanted=all
Daily Dingleberry 08-03-12 Define Normal Please!!!!!!!!!!
Dis-Honourable. Gaspar Vega
Taken from the transcript of 7 News Belize 08-02-12
Jules Vasquez
“Would you accept the characterization that – this is what the PUP said; normal people have to wait in line, have to jump through hoops for years to get a piece of land.”
Hon. Gaspar Vega
“Jules I am not a normal person in Belize. I work much harder than a lot of other people.”
So uhm what exactly does this mean? That you think you’re above the law now because you are a Minister? Look pendejo! You’re right. You are NOT normal. You are put in a place of authority and responsibility. That means Mr. Vega, that unlike everybody else, YOU CAN’T THIEF! You, of all people, are expected to be a model citizen, one who knows, understands AND upholds the law.
Your lone attitude and casual words show how corrupt and therefore undeserving you are of your position. I call for your resignation, effective immediately and that you are dealt with swiftly in every accordance of the laws of our country.
So, Mr. Dean Barrow, what you gonna do with this thieving son of a bitch?
For full transcript of interview, click here: http://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=23103
Handcuffing Justice: When Smart People Act Stupid by Fayemarie A Carter, MA
Handcuffed Justice
I have watched as a nation’s emotions kept building, anxiety reaching a fever pitch. Cries for justice rang loud and a demand for good police work, the utmost importance. We all held our breath as we waited for Bert Vasquez to be charged, fearing that he would walk away “as usual” prompting protest marches sending a clear message of “No! Not this time!” And the police came through. He was charged.
But that wasn’t the end, rather it is the beginning. Just like the public feared he wouldn’t even be charged, now it fears he won’t be convicted. But instead of putting pressure on the police by standing together and making the effort to ensure that he is convicted, instead of helping the police and participating in the process of justice, we have people allowing their fear and lack of faith to derail justice in a most egregious way. Having convinced themselves that because of his family name and influence he will not be convicted, they are calling for vigilantism. One of these people is my own partner, Aria Lightfoot. Yes, Aria. I am calling you out. So sue me.
Take a look at her Facebook status posted a few days ago:
“All you people of waiting for civility and the justice system to condemn this monster among us, question: how do you convict a well connected criminal in a society that doesn’t prosecute well connected criminals? Do we wait for the system to become fair as our children continue to fall victim? Do we wait until personally affected to become angry? All you proponents of fair play how do you get rid of a unprosecutable monster from your midst?”
At first, I tried to give her the benefit of the doubt, so I simply asked: “What are you inciting here?” She responded with a pretty mild answer saying she was just looking for solutions but as the conversation became more involved and other people put their two cents in, it became clear what was being said. We should kill Bert Vasquez and not bother with the process of justice, after all it is a “joke” as one person said. So I sarcastically said: “Well let’s just kill him and get it over with! Goddammit! Screw the justice system. Let’s just be as evil as he is! Who needs rules?” Unfortunately, some people thought I was serious and concurred. No biggie. Next time, I’ll be more clear and put *sarcasm next to a statement intended as such.
Further down Aria makes her point very clear, much to my concern and disappointment: ” I guess people don’t realize that he was in the “allegedly” in process of violently sexually violating another child when he was caught. Do I need a jury to assure me he is guilty. Probably not! And victims are really afraid to come forward in this case because of who he is. So I ask all the proponents of fair play. Give me a solution Please because I feel this monster will walk and he will be one of several that continue to plague our country until the justice system catches up or people take matters in their own hands. What does a society do to protect itself?” Having a jury convict a person accused of anything is NOT for the assurance of his guilt but rather an exercise in justice, you know, that process we need to make sure INNOCENT people don’t go to jail?
I get it. You don’t believe that it will happen. It hasn’t many times. And many murderers and rapists walked free of consequences because of their status in society; bribes paid to key players; intimidation of witnesses; lost evidence because of incompetence and gross mishandling. I GET IT! As other people challenged Aria to clarify her position, she kept saying she was only asking for a solution but when given them, she was adamant that families of victims couldn’t wait for the system to change and asked basically what are we to do in the meantime? She suggested that these “monsters” will walk and plague us if we don’t take matters into our own hands. What does that mean Aria? Kill everybody we “know” is guilty? Remember the poor taxi guy everybody “knew” was the murderer? HE WAS INNOCENT. What would have happened if society had decided to “take matters into their own hands”? How would you have felt if society had killed this man and come to find out it was someone else? How is that a “solution”?
Let’s make something clear hear. Your statement on Facebook was insulting and condescending. Just because everyone isn’t out there screaming about justice or waving a noose around, doesn’t mean they are not as passionate as you, or as concerned or as “affected”. We just choose to do it in a different way and there is no reason we as a society can’t do both. Protests serve a purpose. It is a time to vent. It is a time to feel connected with others. It is a time to bring attention to an issue of great concern. BUT it is merely the beginning of anything. Protests in and of themselves do little to change anything. They can prompt change but the change will be brought about people who take the time to write proposals, present them and have others vote them into policy, law etc. So, killing Bert Vasquez takes care of one person and “a” situation for just a brief moment. The system will still be broken and others will then continue to “get away”. You will basically have NOT affected change and you most certainly will NOT have come up with a solution. Rather, what about the other issues you have now created? Liiiiiiiiike: WHAT ARE WE TEACHING OUR CHILDREN? Where the hell are your beliefs in god now? What kind of god is he/she who allows YOU to kill but not others? Have you thought of what kind of reputation this will give to Belize? How does that kind of behaviour influence investors? TOURISTS??? And lastly, since we seem to have forgotten her: what the hell does this do for Jasmine’s memory? She was a Girl Scout. She worked with her father in her community. Everyone who knew her, liked her. DO YOU HONESTLY THINK THIS IS WHAT SHE WOULD HAVE WANTED? I can emphatically tell you “No!” She was about helping people, not turning them into hateful, demonic beasts seeking vengeance in her name.
So you asked for solutions. You are not going to like the answer but tough. You will help undo the damage by advocating for new legislation and abolishment of defunct, unjust old ones. You will inspire others to seek education in areas critical to justice system. You will demand that proper funding is allocated to fighting crime so that we will get better equipment and facilities aimed at proper gathering and storing of evidence. You will show your support for the hard working officers who put their lives on the line by participating in fund raising efforts and cooperating wherever needed. That means calling the police when a crime is committed, appearing in court when you are called as a witness and teaching yourself and your kids the law and ABIDING THOSE LAWS. You will demand that investigations are made into allegations of misconduct, police brutality and corruption. You will exercise patience and serve as an example of calm, well thought out convictions. You will be a symbol of hope in yourself and Belizeans, that we know the right thing to do and that we will do the right thing. And you will start by reining in your rhetoric and realizing that you have to stop being irresponsible with your words. You need to realize your power. When you do, maybe you can start being the change you keep demanding everyone else makes.
*FYI: “Incitement” comes under “Effecting a Public Mischief” which comes under ‘Perverting the Course of Justice” which comes under “OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE” punishable by up to life imprisonment…. yeah…I would say getting people to murder Bert Vasquez falls right under all that………
Armchair Psychologists: Why “he” Is Not A Monster by Fayemarie Anderson Carter, MA
“He” is next door…
Hey! I know we all watch CSI and Criminal Minds but that seriously does not constitute a working knowledge of the mind a serial rapist, serial killer– hell, your mother!
It is getting scary reading all these assessments of who might be a serial killer. Bert is not Jack, ok? I can almost guarantee it… and no, it is not about his age, although that does play into it. Serial killers can and do kill at an early age so that doesn’t necessarily eliminate him; BUT, Bert would have had to seriously change his MO or Modus Operandi and that rarely, if ever, happens on this scale. Jack tortured his victims as indicated by the numerous cuts on the bodies until he tired of them at which point he killed/mutilated them. This suggests that Jack was more interested in pain, his victim’s pain, and that is how he “got off”. Bert, on the other hand, seems to be more interested in immediate gratification, the quick kill. His thrill is the chase. He likes stalking and the challenge of “getting” the victim.Can you see the difference?
If we give in to this kind of speculation, we will miss the opportunity to find the real killer/killers of these victims and the cold cases will remain unsolved, justice, never served.
There are many things to consider when profiling psychopathy. You would be surprised at just all the nuances that distinguish one type from another. It is a difficult job and takes very intense study and years upon years of experience.
Please. We need to be careful who we call a monster. By the way, I don’t like that name BECAUSE it suggests that that person is so distinguishable from the rest of us…so different…so abnormal. Not really. If he were, we would have caught him a loooong time ago. No matter how we try to distance ourselves from people like Bert Vasquez by calling him a monster, blaming his mother, he really could be anybody couldn’t he? He is someone’s son…brother…uncle…cousin…friend…see where I’m going?
We need to accept that all this is part of human behaviour. It is all on a continuum…it isn’t like we are in one group called “normals’ and then there is Bert all by himself in the “monster” category. If we do that, we will be looking for only really abnormal behaviour (what is that really anyway?) as a signal of psychopathy, “the monster’ and we will lull ourselves into a false sense of security. A serial killer doesn’t “look” like a serial killer…he can be cute and charming…think “Ted Bundy“. He isn’t big and burly and intimidating, think “Jeffery Dahmer“. And he is not always a “he”, think “Myra Hindley“.
Instead of sizing up our neighbours trying to determine if they are the next ‘Bert”, what we need to do as a community is get better educated. We need to teach ourselves, each other, our kids, appropriate boundaries, or, what we allow others to do and how close we let them come. We live in a society where the vestiges of colonial times renders us polite when we need to be assertive. Young girls should never talk to men in cars, much less get into them because he “needs help”. That is preposterous. A real man will go to a public place and ask for directions; he won’t creep on some innocent girl and play helpless. And instead of constantly telling our kids to “be nice” we need to tell them that they have to “assert”. That means that when they feel that something is wrong, instead of doing what they are told because some adult tells them to, they get to say “no” if it is uncomfortable and doesn’t feel right.
I remember when I was 8, and I had just returned from New York and I missed the connecting flight to Dangriga, my aunt put me on a bus. I was scared shitless because I was alone and everything was strange and I just wanted to get home. Some lady told me to go buy her tamales and I shook my head “no”. She called me rude and uppity saying I thought I was better than her because I was “white”. See her thought process?????? All wrong. I wasn’t thinking that at all. It was dark and I was afraid of being in a mostly closed market which was Belmopan market at 6 pm in the evening and being left accidentally…then what? And who the hell is she to be telling me, someone she doesn’t know, to do anything for her? Plus, the bus was full and I didn’t want to leave my seat or my Yankees backpack while I ran her stupid errand. Which brings me to my point. We adults in Belize put our children in danger ALL THE TIME. No. It is not ok to send a 5 year old to buy bread. Not anymore. And no. It is not okay to leave them at home or in the yard or in the car either….My sister- in- law just fired her babysitter because while she was bustin’ her ass trying to make a living, this bitch was getting her drink on with the neighbours, leaving my 8 year old niece and my 3 year old and 18 month old nephews alone in the apartment. Oy.
My heart goes out to all of you, truly. But let’s not get this all twisted people. Getting one predator doesn’t mean we get to relax and go back to business as usual. We need to continue educating ourselves and stepping up our game. We have to accept that no matter where we live, we can’t be complacent and tell ourselves that the issues of serial rapists, pedophiles, serial killers are just what happens in the States or on tv. We need to arm ourselves with new values, new ways of thinking and new behaviours. We can not accept old ways of adults interacting with our children. Case in point:
When I was 8, this “type of interaction” should have been a clue to my parents about a pedophile who was, what we call “grooming” me. He was 19, son of family friends who were more like family. He had further ingratiated himself into my family by posing as an earnest supporter of my father’s bid for Stann Creek Representative in the 1984 General Elections. My parents trusted him implicitly and thought he was a “nice” boy. I didn’t like him at all but every time I tried to put distance I was admonished for being “rude”. Like the time he made me a name plate in shop class. He stopped by in the evening after class and my father let him in and he sat down in our living room having a glass of kool aid while I hid in my room. My father sternly commanded me to come out and accept my “gift”. I said thanks and returned to my room and slammed it against the wall breaking off top part of the “M” in Marie. I almost got spanked for that but I hastily said it fell and tried to look sincerely sorry. My father glued it back on. This man kept showing up with gifts and asking to give them to me in private on the verandah and my parents allowed him! One time he gave me albums he had bought special for me in Chetumal: Menudo. O God…what to do…he demanded a kiss before he would hand them over and I refused. He got angry and I said I would tell my mother. His face changed immediately and he laughed saying he was just kidding blah blah blah…
He would babysit often and I was getting more and more scared because every time he tried to get more and more familiar…he would tell me how pretty I was…That he has been watching and wanting me from the time I was 5 but I was too young then, now I was just “ripe and ready” for him…that I’m the type of woman (yes, I said “woman”) he would marry…he wants to do what ‘married people” do with me so bad…One night, I had just come out of the shower and was wearing my nightie as it was time for bed. He grabbed me and put me on his lap asking me to show him my “cokes” (short for cocoa which is a colloquial term for vagina). I asked why and he said it had been so long since he saw a woman. And I said “But I am not a woman-why don’t you get a girlfriend who is?” And he got angry and I said that he couldn’t make me and that I was going to bed. I struggled out of his grasp and ran into my room. I locked the door and slammed my dresser up against it. My heart was thumping. He was banging on the door and screaming about how I was a little bitch and that I would get what I deserve one day because nobody says no to him. And that just because I was white didnt make me better than him (see a theme here?) And I said “If you don’t stop banging on my door I will scream until the inspector comes!” Yes. Both the District Medical Officer and the Inspector lived next door.
This went on for over a year until finally he was no longer nice and he was no longer giving gifts. He had slapped me and called me a bitch. He had stuck his finger in my vagina when my mother wasn’t looking and I knew it would be soon. On my father’s birthday, he crept into my room while I was getting ready and tried to kiss me on the mouth and I reached into his pocket and took his wallet. I ran to my granny’s room and slammed the door shut behind me. She said “What’s wrong?” And I showed her the wallet and told her the whole story. She got up, called both my father and this man and confronted him. My father didn’t believe until my granny showed them the wallet and asked “Well, how did she get this?” (I should have taken the money that was in it).
The end to this story is awful…he bought the building next to my house which was a grocery store and like my parents forgot or something, I was sent time and time again to shop in his store because this bastard had given my parents credit, ( about 5 years, till I was 15). I would be so nervous that I would make mistakes filling out the checks sometimes. I panicked every time I took a shower, fearing his eyes were peering into the window from some perch on that awful gargantuan building he kept maniacally building upon, never finishing it. He was never nice to me. He was mean and constantly stared me down. On the street, he would slow down his car like a shark swimming around his prey. Sometimes he called me a whore.
I heard he stabbed his brother and badly beat the mother of his children, eventually stabbing her too. As far as I know he is still there…living his life as a contributing member of Dangriga society, often being called upon to serve as mentor, benefactor, role model.
Get my point people? “He” is not a monster…”He” is right here…living with you….this story by the way, is not my only story of being the victim of a pedophile…what stories are you hiding? What stories is your child?
Info about spotting a pedophile: http://www.child-safety-for-parents.com/profile-of-a-pedophile.html
Research Psychopathy: http://www.apa.org/about/index.aspx
Daily Dingleberry 06-16-12 Belize Is Definitely Worth Fighting For
Unlock Your Mind
It is a sad truth, that just like an insecure beautiful woman knows not her worth, so are Belizeans when it comes to Belize. She bats her eyelashes, beckoning her man, wishing only to serve. She is hopeful HE is the one, the one who will worship her and take care of her, make her feel special. Little does she know that the man she lets climb atop her is undeserving and has no intentions of appreciating her delicate beauty. He is only with her to exploit, take his fill, casting her aside broken and used, unloved, uncherished. Desperate, she lets another one in and so on and so on until she has nothing left to attract them. She is but a shriveled shadow of herself, eyes blankly staring out. All because she didn’t know how special she was. Sounds much like what we Belizeans do, advertising our Jewel to tourists and investors, hoping they will be the ones to alleviate our poverty and social ills. Are we going to let that happen to us, Belize? Are we going to throw up our hands and hang our heads in shame, waiting and waiting for “the one” to come rescue us?
Why do we do that? Why do we tell ourselves we don’t know what to do? Why do we give up control to others? *sigh*
We didn’t get ourselves here. We really didn’t. We were a colony that was ignored and treated like crap for over 300 years. They sent politicians and Lords who “behaved badly” to Belize as a punishment- remember, the asshole of the world? No one invested in us…they took everything and then left us to rot in filth and squalor, basic needs unmet and unaddressed. We were treated as unimportant, ignorant and less than human. After all, we are uncivilized animals who steal, cheat and wreak havoc on all that is sacred and holy. HEATHENS! We have sex like monkeys and all our babies have different fathers. Our men are drunken blackguards, thievin’ n’er do wells and our women are loose sex pots to be had for a pint of beer, wooden coins, empty promises of a new life in England.
Fast forward to 2012. We are independent for just 30 years, trying to keep up with the rest of the world and in some ways doing remarkably and in other ways, failing miserably. Let’s look at why. What is the one thing that hasn’t changed? Unfortunately, our mentality. We still behave like the colonized, waiting for massa to do it for us. There is no “Massa“. We is MASSA! SO THEN WHY ARE WE STILL LIVING ACCORDING TO ARCHAIC BRITISH LAWS?????EVEN THE BRITISH DONT USE THOSE FRIGGIN’ LAWS CAUSE THEY DON’T WORK!!!!
And so here we come back to Jasmine Lowe. Her case is a magnifying glass on all that doesn’t work. And why did this happen? Why were there no change in the laws that might have allowed for a better investigation, prosecution and justice for this little girl? Because we don’t understand that we are worth it. We, Belizeans, are worth demanding better laws. We, Belizeans, are worth demanding better protection. We, Belizeans, are worth demanding a sound justice system. This is more than gangs and guns. This cuts to the core of what we stand for, what we represent. Our laws are who we are. Our laws tell the world what is important to us. The problem is we don’t even know that we are important so how could we know what is important to us?
My partner Aria Lightfoot just wrote an article further commenting on all this…take a look and then start reflecting…do you know you are worth it? Do you know you are worth fighting for? Only until we get that, can we be ready to build Belize and be the change we wish to see.
https://twocanview.com/2012/06/16/belize-is-worth-fighting-for-by-aria-lightfoot/
Belize is worth fighting for by: Aria Lightfoot
Map of Belize
Jasmine Lowe is affectionately known as JLowe by her family and friends. She has only been gone for ten days; however the Belize news is so inundated with murder, mayhem, sexual predators and shootings that her memory is already fading in some people’s mind. Unfortunately, victims in most cases do not get more than two days of air time. There is no mechanism in place to follow the progression of investigations by the police; except two years later in a failed court trial when most people hardly remember the circumstances of crime or the names of the victims, a final epitaph stating “Two more get away with murder of X”.
The news presented to Belizeans are poorly researched stories with catchy headlines and just enough information to tell you what happened, without actually explaining what or why it is happening. The media creates a disconnection with the victims by reporting their situation in a clinical statistical manner. “Three shot this weekend” while desensitizing the populace with explicit images of dead blood ridden bodies or decomposing bodies. Ultimately people tune out crime news and express hopelessness in finding solutions. The victims’ families are left powerless and many times faceless and voiceless except for the two days of initial coverage.
Just a couple days ago the Prime Minister of Belize opened himself up to the media and the questions were wanting. The media houses are heavily dependent on Jules Vasquez to ask the tough questions while they feed off his questions to present their stories. When individually given the opportunity, they shy away from asking the tough necessary questions to help Belizeans understand what is happening in Belize. One person commented on our blog that the Prime Minister is insulting or vindictive. So what? That is a challenge of being a reporter. Ask the questions and stop taking things so damn personal. If you cannot handle the heat, get out the fire and make way for someone who will. (See Faye’s daily dingle berry: https://twocanview.com/2012/06/15/daily-dingleberry-06-15-12-why-uno-fraid-fi-dean-barrow/ ). The media must remember that they are a very important function of democracy. They have an obligation to present accurate unbiased information, ask the tough questions, research their stories and follow up and keep us apprised of the state of the country’s affairs.
As a people, we the citizens of Belize are also failing to be effective and productive citizens. Brent Toombs wrote an excellent article why we are failing as a society. (https://twocanview.com/2012/06/13/we-need-tougher-laws-but-not-for-me-by-brent-toombs/ ). We are too caught up in our personal narcissistic ways to contribute to the success of Belize. We say we want change, but we expect the government to implement changes as long as the changes don’t affect us personally. We vote for representatives, but we only claim that representative if he is from our political party. We fight; quarrel, point fingers; question people’s agenda; categorize them; and call people names. We lack basic respect for each other’s opinion. As a people, we are left blaming everyone and failing to see our own role in socieity. Ultimately, we will sink or swim as a nation.
So back to JLowe. I have been following this story very closely. Only thing I am sure of is that there is a deviant sexual predator that lurks out there. One that will attack more victims until he is caught and prosecuted or die of natural causes. I have been asking questions from attorneys, doctors and police officers. I am very interested to know about the investigative process. I want to know why so many of the court cases are failing. I want to understand so I can explain it to you. We need to understand what ails us as a society so we can undergo the process of healing our society
Jasmine Lowe- Murdered victim
Here is what I found out as an avid follower of JLowe’s investigation:
- According to Belize law, we do not need a forensic pathologist to examine a murdered body, just a medical doctor, therefore, Dr. Estradaban do not need to investigate death, just certify it. I was additionally told cause of death is not necessarily important to present a murder case. I personally find that very hard to believe because reasonable doubt is immediately created when the state cannot prove cause of death.
- Belize do not have the facilities to handle decomposing bodies, so many autopsies are done on the site. According to one doctor I spoke to here in the U.S., crucial evidence could be lost performing autopsies in the field. Autopsies should be done in a lab setting. Unfortunately, until we have the facilities to handle decomposing bodies, as a health safety procedure, bodies will continue to be handled in this manner.
- I was flabbergasted when I found out the crime scene was burned. The reporter only reported the scene was burned; but had he done some more digging rather than just report this fact, it would have negated a lot of speculations from the public. I sought the counsel of an old teacher who is now a criminal defense attorney for the State of Texas. I asked him if burning the crime scene of a decomposing body was protocol in the cases he dealt with in the U.S. He stated that he has never heard anything like that and wondered why the doctor would order such a thing. Well here is the answer. According to Clyde Williams, investigator in JLowe’s case, Belize does not have the necessary equipment to sterilize these crime scenes and because it is human remains and there is blood, it creates a hazardous environment, so burning the scene after evidence collection is protocol.
- I was also interested in knowing why cases fail in our court system. According to Anthony Sylvester, the Irish Parliament did a review of their criminal justice system in 2006 (a system similar to ours) and found out that the justice system is skewed in favor of the defendant because in the past many people could not afford a defense attorney. Unfortunately, many laws are implemented in our system in an ad hoc manner without an evaluation of the justice system itself. So in other words we are implementing laws when we should actually be conducting a serious review of our legal system and restructuring our criminal laws. Belize is attempting to fight 2012 criminals with outdated, ineffective and poorly written laws. I think the Bar Association could play a vital role in addressing this issue.
There are some positives resulting from our dire situation in Belize. Mary Cariddi has successfully lobbied the government to have a ‘Jasmine Taxi Law’. The government is now in the process of changing the taxi laws and implementing an identification mechanism and background checks to register taxi drivers. This is necessary because we trust that taxis will take us to our destination without harm. The state will be providing safety procedures to ensure they can be held accountable and they are safe drivers.
Also, a group of interested citizens are creating a system called “Jasmine alert” to quickly update the public with information for missing children. The system will be a database that will keep people informed of when and where children go missing, their picture and background information. The idea is to galvanize the public into quick action to help locate vulnerable children before any harm befall them.
The First Lady of Belize, Mrs. Kim Simplis Barrow, has additionally indicated that the laws involving children are being revamped and we should see stiffer sentences and more protections for child victims. As it is right now, children are at a disadvantage in the court system and because of their innocence, they are many times re-victimized through the testimony requirement of the court system making prosecutions difficult.
The society seems mobilized against criminals as the theme “enough is enough” is being resonated by law abiding tax paying citizens. Citizens are realizing the limitations and difficulties the police face when investigating crime. People are trying to find ways to assist them. The time is now to become part of the movement to influence the changes we want in our society. This is not a political issue Belizeans, this is a Belizean issue.
Until Belizeans know what need to be changed and lobby their leaders effectively, we will continue in a downward spiral until we have no other choice but to suspend our all our laws and start over from scratch. In such a scenario, many innocent lives will be lost. I appeal to the media to stop with the half ass reporting and begin to dig deep. Research your cases and explain to the Belize people why things are the way it is. You are the watchdogs of our society. I also appeal to my fellow Belizeans to become proactive citizens and become part of the movement for your children’s sake. I implore Belizeans abroad to network and find ways to donate to Belize to improve our society. We are all Belizeans and Belize is worth fighting for!
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Daily Dingleberry 06-15-12 Why Uno ‘Fraid Fi Dean Barrow?
I, along with many other Belizeans, tuned in two days ago for the first press conference since the elections..and it was ok for the most part but my goodness…the reporters asking questions were a little goofy weren’t they? One of them giggling like a little school girl even…oi…the questions were soft and sometimes even ridiculous and evoked responses that really shed no new light on anything… Even the way Mr. Barrow answered some of the questions showed that he thought the questions were silly…
I have a question…when these press conferences are called, is the media advised as to what the content will be? And if not, could we start doing that? That way, reporters can better prepare to ask relevant questions. I mean Mr. Barrow was being asked about vehicles provided to ministers rather than real questions like what are we doing about our justice system since crime is a major concern…are we afraid to touch that subject?
C’mon people…Mr. Barrow loves a battle of wits…start practicing…and at the budget speech, lemme hear some witty banter rather than this kindergarten ish …and then slam home the real questions we all need answers to…like who is investigating these corrupt ministers, police people and how do we intend to prosecute murderers without evidence…
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