As the year comes to a close, let me say that I have come to the conclusion that some people form their own biased opinions on certain issues even in light of clear evidence just to have something to complain about.

This entire issue concerning the police advisory, in my opinion, has been hi-jacked, as persons who wished to condemn someone for something, sat back distorted the facts and misrepresented them as truth even to the point where the narrative of the original comments were changed.

“Junkanoo Safety Tips – Please Dress Appropriately”

Excerpt from this statement; “To avoid unwanted attention please dress appropriately.  If you are dressed appropriately it takes away from the chances of you being groped or touched in an appropriate manner (sic)”

After this advisory was issued a fire storm of criticism was heard from the public as they fired back accusing the police of “victim blaming’; say what now?

So it would seem that ‘someone’, actually a lot of ‘someones’ were too happy to take this statement and misinterpret it just so that they could go tell some ‘bout dey sef’,  but the blood lust of these ‘politically correct’ someones did not stop there and was about to get much, much, much worst as Archdeacon James Palacious weighed in with ‘he 2 cents’ and for a ‘man of the cloth’, his opinion apparently was NOT the correct opinion.

“Palacious: Police warning on Junkanoo attire well-intentioned” – The Nassau Guardian 29.22.2017

Excerpt from this article; “While he disagreed with the Royal Bahamas Police Force’ (RBPF) wording of its warning to attendees of the Junkanoo Parades about being appropriately dressed, Archdeacon James Palacious said yesterday he believes that it was well intentioned’

‘I think it was poorly worded [but] it is well-intentioned, I believe’, Palacious said.  ‘I often preach; I say young ladies, if you are dressed like a prostitute, you will be treated like a prostitute.

‘Now of course you have a right to dress like a prostitute and I do not have the right to treat you like that, but quite naturally, if that’s how you position yourself, there are some men who respond like that.’

‘And let me reiterate, because a woman is dressed like that, that does not give you any kind of right to do it, far from it.’

‘However, I think the intention of what the police are saying is valid.’

‘The more provocatively you are dressed, the more attention you are drawing to yourself.’

‘Men tend to get the impression that if that’s how you are dressed, then that is must be how you want to be treated.  You are fair game.’

‘That’s unfortunate.  That a part of the culture.”

Someone still has to point out to me where any of this statement is not factual; you may not like it but it is brutally honest.  The first thing that should be addressed is this claim by some that the police and the archdeacon were/are encouraging women to be raped, once this word was inserted into the conversation, it took on a life of its own with some claiming that the way that a woman is dressed does not determine whether she will raped or not but then when did the police or the archdeacon mention rape?  The advisory states; “If you are properly dressed, it takes away the chance of you being groped or touched in an inappropriate manner” and this is fact, so those that interjected the word ‘rape’ and continue to use it are either lacking the basic comprehension skills has it pertains to the English language or are just looking to incite something of their very own making and is tantamount to nothing more than mischief and I wonder why these people are so focused on rape.

The police states; “To avoid unwanted attention please dress appropriately…..” and I am still trying to figure out what in this statement is not factual.  It is an advisory to lessen the chances of women being groped that the Junkanoo celebrations, plain and simple.

  It is clear that we have a lot of trouble makers among us and I sincerely hope as we begin a new year that commonsense with begin to prevail because with this level of mischievous behavior or lack of understanding among a population that seems willing to follow up on it rather than think and reason for themselves, we will continue to falter and not progress.

END