"Say it Ain't So, Joe!"

For the past month, speculation about the possible arrest of top former political officials had spread faster than the deluge of red that engulfed the country on that late February evening. But like many other skeptics, I had my reservations about the validity of such a promising possibility. And then on Friday, there was Mr. (no-longer-honorable) Joe Coye, on the news, exiting the police station after turning himself into police custody for "stealing" (or refusing to give back) $275,000. For me, this significant amount is insignificant. Equally insignificant is the person who brought the charges against Mr. Coye; something tells me, just a hunch, that he knew this was not the most transparent and honest transaction one could make to obtain land. And I justify this by pointing out that every other middle-class or lower echelon Belizean would never have the privilege of being offered undervalued property by the suddenly 'benevolent' Coye. Instead, what I find most promising amidst this case of abusive political power, was the mere fact that it was brought to fruition. I applaud the authorities in this matter, even though it may well be that it was concocted with malicious intent. Too often, the police has been accused of not being hard-pressed against white-collar, corporate crimes. Admittedly, this is a truism that reigns everywhere, not just in Belize. Therefore, when Mr. Coye walked out of magistrate court on Friday, it signaled that there may still be hope for social equality in Belize. Moreover, ASSUMING that this arrest was politically spurred by ravenous UDP officials seeking retribution, it shows that their promise of reform was not empty. But, before I give a medal to the UDP government for eradicating the nests of corruption past, we have to take this event in context - this event was no more than a political gimmick for the UDP to publicly flex their power entrusted to them by the people who voted for them. Therefore, the only way to prove that they are in fact sincere about reform is NOT by prosecuting former officials, but by leading by example. They must demonstrate that they themselves will not abuse the power given to them, as so often done by the previous administration. I admit that too little time has gone by for them to prove their sincerity, but as we have learned, the tide can turn oh so suddenly - as sudden as that sea of red.

WHAT! Flour gwain up?

That's right, ladies and gentlemen, fresh off the press! The price of flour is almost doubling... from 58c to damn near a $1. Didn't the Chicken Association announce last week that the cost of chicken {our Belizean staple} is increasing as well?

Now, if we add that to the price of gasoline, diesel, and kerosene... As a matter of fact all petroleum based products, with one barrel of the Black Gold floating somewhere around $110US... then we have the US economy in seriously recession and falling currency problems, so there goes the majority of our tourism industry. Does anyone remember the BTIA commercials? "Almost 40% of jobs in Belize are directly related to the tourism industry."

Does anyone have a calculator? Where the hell does that leave the common man?

We're in dire straits. Someone... come hold me! I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed and desperate!

Here we are, developing nation, 2008. We have oil. We have some of the most beautiful biolife the world has to offer. We have a great number of naturally intelligent people. We have fertile farmlands.

Here we are, developing nation, 2008. We have an oil company paying us somewhere around 7% of their earnings. We have our reefs being destroyed by the cruise tourism industry where we barely get one freaking dollar for every "tourist" that touches our blessed soil. We have a people unable to afford education, and those who can, flock to America, Canada, England, anywhere but here. We have foreign developers coming and buying our most prime pieces of land and Central Americans squatting on our sovereign territory.

We're living in a world of ever widening social disparity. The rich ARE getting richer. The poor ARE getting poorer. And it is getting harder and harder every single DAY for a man to jump this social gorge.

1 murder every 3 days. If I hear ONE more mother bawling on the TV saying, "My son wasn't bad," I'll scream! Our streets erupting in violence was NOT an overnight occurrence. No honey, from the time Johnny was a boy, he was running amok. What happened to discipline? What happened to respect? What happened to the BELIZEAN WAY. You shoulda mi BAX all rebel outta that boy long time and teach him to be a gentleman. You shoulda mi erase all this "thug this" "gansta that" nonsense outta his head LONG time and guide that boy toward some real dreams.

I am so disgusted with the direction my country is headed. I have to ask, how much lower do we need to go before we RISE as a community? What depths must we reach before we CLEAN our streets. From the Legislature, from the Judiciary, from the Police, from the churches, from the schools, and most of all from the average Belizean home, baby, we gotta make some BIG changes. The question is, are we ready?

Flour price going up. I need to get me some land and start to farm. How can I starve in a country such as this? With the grass so green. With the breezes so gentle? With the sun so warm? And with a people, who I believe -- I have to believe -- so wonderful?

Think, my brothers and sisters, think! How are we gonna solve the problems -- so many problems riddling such a small nation.