Barbados Government BLP Agent Plays Race Card. Calls Opposition Leader “White”, Equates With British Slave Owners

The Barbados Government insider who uses the name “Royalrumble” to post on Barbados Free Press has proven his credentials many times – occasionally coming up with or talking about confidential government documents in the middle of the night that have later appeared on the government BLP Blog. “Royalrumble” appears to be the real thing – a government insider who has access to Cabinet documents no matter what the day or time.

Today this government insider posted the following comment on Barbados Free Press …

“(Opposition Leader David) Thompson is a white man who believes that any success gained by a black man is by way of corruption and I would warn all blacks from both sides of the political fence not to follow him down this dark path to his own political demise. This is his last political mass let him pool his shit himself.

He feels that he has no expiry date and that the only person who has the right to receive campaign funds in their name is he. In others words the only person who has the right to be rich is he. The last group of people that had such a mindset was our slave masters from England, the birth place of this same Thompson.”

… read the full comment by government insider Royalrumble here

Our apologies for letting Royalrumble’s bad language stand, but we think it is important to realise the full vehemence of his thoughts.

Is Royalrumble a Cabinet Minister, an MP or a Barbados Labour Party strategist? We don’t know who this person is, but many times Royalrumble has proven their credentials publicly for all to see.

This person has also continually shown their racist attitude against lighter-skinned Bajans of African and Indian heritage and, of course, whites. (For an example see BLP Government Insider Says Tourism Official Distributing Info Package Calling Pundit Adrian Loveridge “The Embodiment Of Racist” !)

What is truly disturbing about Royalrumble and his racist comments is that he is a real government insider with access to Cabinet documents in the middle of the night.

We fear that his or her racist writings are indicative of a general racist attitude by more than just a few persons in the Barbados Government and the BLP.

In the past we have mentioned other racist comments and attitudes by members of the Barbados Government, including…

- Prime Minister Owen Arthur’s use of the racially charged term “negrocrat” as a derogatory slur against folks who disagree with him. (link here)

- Environment Minister Liz Thompson’s use of the word “Caucasian” as a racial slur against a Bajan with light skin (on television no less!)

- The website of the government Barbados Labour Party shows only Barbados citizens of one race – with dark skin. (link here)
- Barbados Government’s continued support of Ikael Tafari, it’s appointed Director of the Commission for Pan-African Affairs, who time and time again has spouted racist positions. (see here)

- Non-blacks being expelled from government sponsored “anti-racism” conference.

Barbados Government Displays A Mugabe-Like Attitude Towards Racial Minorities

We have said many times that race and culture are always just below the surface in Barbados. That’s just a reality – but it doesn’t mean that we can’t progress or become colour-blind as we move forward as a society.

Friends of BFP know that like the reality of Barbados, the colours of our writers’ skins run from very dark to very light. Marcus and Shona are of entirely different races and their children are somewhere in between. Cliverton is dark. George is light. Robert is somewhere in the middle and obviously had some oriental ancestors somewhere in the mix.

Even the darkest of us are a mixed breed stew.

But we are BAJANS first and last. That is our decision for our children and for our country’s future.

The Government of Barbados under Prime Minister Owen Arthur displays one face when on the world stage of international relations – or when talking with foreign investors.

But when their guard is down or they believe they are talking to their chosen core audience in the racial majority, this government displays a disturbing Magabe-like attitude towards citizens who are not of the racial majority.

As we pointed out over a year ago with the Government party’s official website…

“(The Barbados Government BLP website has) a powerful feel-good message of progress – until you realize that the images only show Barbadians of African heritage who have darker skin tones. No lighter-skinned persons of African heritage are shown. No Barbadians of Indian heritage. No Oriental races. No Asians. No whites. No Barbadians of mixed race. No mixed race couples.

Only persons of African heritage who have dark skin tones.

My friends, that is a powerful, powerful message. It is also a disturbing message in light of past racially-charged comments by both Prime Minister Owen Arthur and Environment Minister Liz Thompson.

If the Barbados Labour Party truly believes that it wants to represent the interests of all Barbadians – no matter the colour of their skin or their racial heritage – then the BLP should change it’s website to reflect all our citizens.

But if the website fairly represents how the BLP views Barbados and their vision for this nation, then they should leave the website the way it is. Don’t change a thing BLP, unless you really mean it.”

Here we are over a year later and the Government BLP website remains the same.

We Get The Message

Nation News Prints Letter From Friends Of Graeme Hall – But Deletes Some Sections

Were The Deletions By Nation News Acceptable?

Friends Of Graeme Hall Write Letter About Caribbean Splash Waterpark vs National Park

Peter Simmons, the Chairman of the Friends of Graeme Hall citizen’s group, wrote a letter to various news media including Barbados Free Press. The Nation News printed his letter but deleted some of the paragraphs.

We are printing the entire letter with the deleted sections shown in red.

There have been many times in the past when the Nation News has heavily censored or even refused to cover stories involving Graeme Hall National Park – in our opinion to avoid embarrassing the Barbados Government. For examples, read…

Nation News Censors Important Story & Letter To Editor – Millionaire Philanthropist Abused By Barbados Government

Outrage As Deceitful Nation News Censors Letter From National Park Donor Peter Allard

While this type of censorship, bias and outright lapdog behaviour towards the government is a betrayal of the media’s duty towards Barbados and the public – we also recognize that any newspaper might have space limits or fear legal problems under our outrageous libel laws.

In the past, we have been sure about The Nation News’ censorship. This time, we’re not so sure that we detect an agenda.

What do our readers think?

Here is the letter as we received it from The Friends Of Graeme Hall, once again with the sections deleted by the Nation News shown in red…

Park Figures Don’t Add Up

Lawrence Loughlin who, with fellow American Matthew Kerins of Caribbean Water Splash, seems determined to construct a water park adjacent to the Errol Barrow Roundabout at Graeme Hall, reacted with lightning speed to the announcement that permission had been granted for a water park at the Ocean Park Aquarium just up the highway at Balls.

Writing on the Barbados Free Press blog on June 6, he says, inter alias:

1) “Same old, same old gross misrepresentations of facts and figures . . .

2) “Our project will be a wholesome playground for children and youngsters . . .

3) “I can take extreme comfort and knowledge that my private polling suggests 93 per cent of Bajans polled were enthralled about the water park. I even went a step further, by saying I am willing to do a referendum on the issue. If 75 per cent or less of Bajans do not want a water park, then we gone . . .

4) “Are we not a democracy!!! Let the people have their voice.”

As a Barbadian living in our robust democracy, I write on behalf of The Friends of Graeme Hall Inc. and the hundreds of residents of Graeme Hall and the surrounding districts, 420 of whom have signed a petition to the Chief Town Planner objecting to a water park at Graeme Hall.

I also write on behalf of the 6 083 individuals from across the length and breadth of Barbados who have signed a public petition in favour of the creation of a national park at Graeme Hall.

I find No.1 most interesting coming from one of the group who wants to lease 17 acres of Government-owned land at a peppercorn rent ($100 per year?) rather than buying it at its commercial value of, I am advised, between $25 and $30 per sq. ft and ask the following:

a) If they are seeking a peppercorn lease to avoid paying the realistic commercial price for the land and will erect what they call “chattel house type structures” on it, on precisely what will the alleged US$22 million investment be spent?

b) Why do Loughlin and Kerins want to convert five of the 17 acres into a concrete car park to accommodate 2 000 motor vehicles, making it the largest car park not only in Barbados, but in the entire English-speaking Caribbean?

c) Who said at a church hall meeting that amount of parking was a Town Planning requirement?

d) On what was the 2 000 parking spots based? Was it on Caribbean Water Splash’s projection that there would be over 2 000 visitors per day?

e) When Henderson Forde, a director of Caribbean Water Splash, said on the Brass Tacks Sunday programme which was dedicated to discussing the water park, that 300 000 visitors per year were projected, was it not Lawrence Loughlin who was in the studio with me who challenged Forde’s figure and said that his own projection was 270 000?

f) If you divide Forde’s and Loughlin’s figures by 365, they are both projecting less than 1 000 visitors a day.

g) Additionally, since the majority of patrons will be “children and youngsters” who presumably are not licensed to drive motor vehicles, the mystery deepens intriguingly!

h) Are Loughlin and Kerins aware that at the new International Waterfront Development project in Port-of-Spain comprising two 26-storey corporate office towers, a 22-floor 428-room hotel, a conference complex and retail shopping facilities, the car park will be for 1 200 vehicles? (Business Authority, May 28, 2007).

i) When will Barbadians learn if there may be a hidden agenda behind construction of this massive car park when, by their own admission, less than 1 000 patrons per day on average will visit?

j) Could it be that should the water park fail (and I am not aware of one anywhere in the Caribbean which has been successful), then the five acres under concrete could easily facilitate the construction of upscale condominiums and townhouses?

I am fascinated that Lawrence Loughlin takes “extreme comfort and knowledge” that his “private polling suggests 93 per cent of Bajans polled were enthralled about the water park”.

I ask: who was polled? What was their social, economic, racial and age cohorts? Where and when was the poll conducted? Who was the pollster?

Will Mr. Loughlin answer these questions and share the information or will he run and take cover under the cloak that it was a private and confidential poll, his “private polling” for his eyes only?

We, the Friends of Graeme Hall Inc., take great comfort in and extrapolate from the results of our two real public petitions two factual conclusions. One, that 420 people from Graeme Hall and its environs do not want a water park at Graeme Hall.

Secondly, that there are over 6 083 real, living people who enthusiastically want a national park instead and have petitioned for it. Both petitions are available for public scrutiny.

I note Mr Loughlin has introduced a novel, if absurd, dimension to governance in our polity. He proposes a referendum on the water park and asserts “if 75 per cent or less of Bajans do not want a water park, then we gone”.

Please, Mr Loughlin, if you want to be treated seriously, desist from displaying your cavalier ignorance of our political culture. A referendum on your water park? You have obviously seen pigs flying and cows jumping over the moon!

That said, he gets high marks for his parachute clause. With public opinion running strongly against them, with permission granted to construct another water park already granted, and with this country unlikely to sustain two viable water parks, the boys backing Caribbean Splash are clearing preparing to jump.

We wish them the best of Bajan luck. Go in peace.

* Peter Simmons is chairman of Friends of Graeme Hall Inc.

Read the letter as printed in the Nation News (link here)