29 MAY
2016
Celebrate Our Forefathers By G. Michael Reid I do not share the sentiment that we have too many holidays in Belize. In fact, I believe that we could do with a few more so that the working class people can get a break. In what amounts to nothing short of modern day slavery, the aristocratic business owners can vacation whenever and for however long they choose while the regular Joe must toil away endlessly for meagre wages. But, “dah suh it set” and I’m not here to rock that boat just yet. We just came out of a long weekend and the average person on the street had no idea what we were celebrating. It didn’t matter much really, suffice only that we were able to get some time off and enjoy a long weekend. While I’m not in favour of getting rid of any holidays, we should take a look at a couple and exchange them for others more relevant and appropriate to our culture and traditions. What started out as Queen Victoria’s birthday evolved into Queen’s Day and then Commonwealth Day and most recently, Sovereign’s Day. When you think about it then, and when you think about what “sovereign” actually means; it means we have come full circle to where it all began; celebrating a day to honour the monarchy. Another ridiculous holiday is what is now known as Day of the Americas. It is said that a rose by any other name remains the same and regardless of how they dress this one up, it is a day in honour of the most vicious and barbaric son of a gun ever to walk this planet. On October 12, 1492, Christopher Columbus dropped anchor off the island of Hispaniola and embarked upon a campaign of death and terror. In less than two years after he arrived, 250,000 people had perished at the hands of this barbarian. Many were dismembered and tortured to death. Babies were killed for sport and fed to hunting dogs while women and children were raped at will. The genocide continued long after Columbus was
THE BELIZE TIMES cree was issued, would later challenge the crazy Bull declaring that: “The sun shines on me as well as on others. I should be very happy to see the clause in Adam’s will which excluded me from my share when the world was being divided.” A maxim we would do well to adopt! In a revolutionary speech given in July of 2015 in La Paz Bolivia, current Pope Francis begged forgiveness “… for the sins, offenses and crimes committed by the Catholic Church against indigenous peoples during the colonialera conquest of the Americas.” Many believe that this statement of papal contrition is an important first step toward revoking this crazy and obnoxious document that has, over the years, given credence to much wrong. It is time for Belize to join our voices to those who are demanding that Pope Francis goes even further and revoke and rescind this ridiculous document that is still being held over our heads. Without Inter Caetera, Spain would have had no right that Guatemala can now claim to have inherited. There are two holidays that should
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stone in our history. That was the date of a very important meeting that showed our mettle and resolve as a people. On June 1st, of 1797, a public meeting was held in the Settlement of Belize which was to decide our fate as a nation. One would have thought that they were voting for President of Football Federation of Belize as arguments raged back and forth and still they could not break the tie. 51 dead and gone. Scholarly estimates wanted to run while 51 wanted to put pre-Columbus population of the stay and fight regardless of the odds; Americas at anywhere between 50 and make no mistake, the odds were to 100 million combined. By time the huge. A mighty Spanish armada was conquest was complete; eighty (80) to bearing down on Belize intent on drivninety (90) percent were gone, dead, ing us from what was to become our annihilated. Happy Holiday! beloved Jewel. In his diaries that can be found on History records that Thomas the internet, former slave owner turned Paslow, while a cruel and callous slave bishop, Bartolome de Las Casas, reowner, showed much guts that day in cords in detail some of the atrocities heading a group that was holding fast of those associated with Columbus. to a decision to stay and fight. One Las Casas wrote, “Such inhumanities could almost hear the murmurings of and barbarisms were committed in my those on the other side as they tried sight as no age can parallel. My eyes to show the sense and logic in why have seen these acts so foreign to the settlement should be abandoned. human nature that now I tremble as The exchange was intense and just I write.” Yet each October, we the dewhen there seemed no end to the impasse, in rumbled a bunch of ragged rogues from deep in the River Valley. They had There are two holidays that should be added to come to vote and give supour calendar to replace these two celebrations port to those who saw furof meaningless tribute. The first is Januther down the road and past the interest of their own ary 15th, the birthday of the Father of our safety. Belize was home and Nation George Cadle Price. The more time it was worth fighting for. In the end, the vote that passes by and the more leaders that wounded up 65 to 51 in fawe have to compare this man with, the vour of those who believed more we can recognize the true value and in Belize and believed that it was better to fight, and die if worth of his contributions. need be, in order that those be added to our calendar to replace of us who currently enjoy these fruits scendants of those who suffered, set these two celebrations of meaningcould forevermore have a land to call aside a day to honour this man! less tribute. The first is January 15th, our home. We are faced with a similar Columbus wrote in his memoirs a the birthday of the Father of our Nation situation today and the time might yet few years before his death that “Gold George Cadle Price. The more time come when we shall have to tally the is the most precious of all commodithat passes by and the more leaders ayes and the nays. How vote ye, enties; gold constitutes treasure, and he that we have to compare this man joyer of this fair territory; be ye inhibitor who possesses it has all he needs in with, the more we can recognize the or inhabitant? the world, as also the means of rescutrue value and worth of his contribuJune 1st is a significant date and is ing souls from purgatory, and restoring tions. Let us give this man his just due far more relevant and important to us them to the enjoyment of paradise.” and celebrate a day in his honour. than a Queen’s Day or a Columbus Day; From the looks of things, there are A second very important date by whatever names they choose to call many today who still live by this creed comes up next week. June first marks them. Let us honour the courage of our and it might explain why so many still the beginning of the rains and also the forefathers and make Vote Day a pubhail him as hero. beginning of the hurricane season but lic and bank holiday. May GOD forever The interesting irony is that Chrisit also marks a very significant milebless Belize. topher Columbus plied his devilry with the full consent and blessings of the Church. Upon learning of Columbus’ so-called discovery, Pope Alexander VI in May of 1493 issued his infamous papal bull, which granted official ownership of the New World to Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain. In his Inter Caetera, the Pope declared that, “We of our own motion, and not at your solicitation, do give, concede, and assign for ever to you and your successors, all the islands, and main lands, discovered; and which may hereafter, be discovered, towards the west and south; whether they be situated towards India, or towards any other part whatsoever, and give you absolute power in them.” Therein lays the crux of our modern day problem for it is this audacious document which is used by Guatemala as the basis and genesis of her claim over our territory. Francis I of France, who was born the year after the de-