Ok, so as I stated last night, I wrote a post only to have it swallowed up by the internet shark demon thingie that is always going around swallowing up things people are trying to put on the internet. Gooders Girl commented that she couldn’t believe that a “Computer God” (CG) like me can lose posts. Well… all I can say is, “Gooders, it is you who say I am a CG, not I, and yes, it happened.”.
First, you will remember that I mentioned that Machel Montano and Xstatik were going to be here! Let me tell you quickly that Machel Montano and Xstatik were great, Natty and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves at the show and I danced till I wet! Big up to Machel and Xtatik, Patrice Roberts and Farmer Nappy (of “Chippin down de Road Wit’ Me Own Woman” fame). Big up also to Byron Lee and the Dragonnaires who opened for Machel. They were pretty decent still.
For more about Machel and what he is up to nowadays, click here.
Anyway, my post last night was about two things which have been getting lots of press, discussion and so forth here in the Cayman Islands right now. The first, and more important had to do with the wanton murder of six Blue Iguanas. Now the Blue Iguana is indigenous to the Cayman Islands, and also, they are nearly extinct. Yes, people, they are high on the endangered list. There is an active program which seeks to take the Blues off the endangered list, and they have set up an area in the Queens Botanical Gardens where they are raising some Blues in captivity. They are actually trying to breed up some good numbers and then release them.
Can you imagine that some wicked person(s) broke into that facility and killed six of these iguanas?! That number may seem small, but when you consider that this is one third of all the iguanas they have in this facility, you will understand that this is a big deal!
I hear that the authorities intend to prosecute the perpetrators to the full extent of the law if they catch them, and they are likely to have to pay fines of up to CI$10,000 and also serve three years per iguana! I think thats a good thing, and I hope they catch the bastards! Read up on what people here think about this senseless act at the MarlRoad.com forum.
Also in the news are a couple of gay activists who were on the island recently. Apparently they got into one big kissing frenzy in a public place, that is, at a restaurant and bar. A number of the patrons at the bar were offended by this and they spoke to the men, telling them taht they were desist from this activity. Being activists, this seemed to have spurred the gays up to higher heights in their kissing, (or deeper depths, depending on your viewpoint 
) and eventually a patron pointed them out to a policeman. The policeman went over and told them that their actions were illegal in the Cayman Islands and they were to desist, but this only brought on another round of kissing.
Eventually one of the men was arrested. Since then, he has written letters of complaint to a number of parties, and the Department of Tourism has written to him apologising for his treatment here in Cayman. He seems to have got the word out to some of his activist brethren and a wave of people from overseas have been visiting the Cayman Compass website to read the story online, so many visitors that they actually crashed the website!
This has been a big topic of discussion here in Cayman as well. You can read up on people’s views on this issue at the MarlRoad.com forum.
Anyway, tell me what you think about these things, me bredrins, and we can discuss them in the comments. For now, I gone. Have to help MBJr. with his homework and go to the gym. TTYL.
Much as I may not read/comment much anymore, it is good to see a scribble from you. How long before the final move to the new home?
I’m no lover of reptiles, but to have broken into the place where they are breeding them in captivity and killed a third of the lizards seems really drastic. Still, if no one saw when it happened, I wonder if the responsible individual(s) will be found?
well we all know what woulda happen to them dudes had they been in jamaica…
and that picture of the iguanas almost brought up my food! yech
Bag Lady’s last blog post..Its Not Frickin Rocket Science!!!
Are the peeps of cayman softies or what? If they did that in Jamaica they would be lucky if they even got a warning…the only warning they would have gotten is machete’s going deep into there skin….rofl:P
Gordon Swaby’s last blog post..Jamaica and it’s stance on Homosexuality
I happen to like lizards – and more so everyday. This is absolutely shameful. Even more than the jail time, they should be made to pay for and to clean up and take care of the remaining iguanas. That will teach them….
I also happen to have just came back from Ghana where I saw the biggest, most beautiful lizards running around, and loved the place even more. We in Jamaica have no sense of the need for preservation of the natural environment, nor any appreciation for animals. So, in my snarky grudgeful mode, I immediately thought the perpetrator was probably some pissed off Jac’n person who thinks the lizards get more attention and respect than they do.
As for the kiss-in, individual activism is just that — conscious action to make a political point, regardless of the consequences. Indeed, the consequences help to make their point. Brave of them! Gordon — could u try to open you r mind please and come off the machete cheering squad? Jeez! Thank you!
Long Bench’s last blog post..Where there is moss, a post is not far behind?
The killing of the iguanas is really sickening and disgusting.Hopefully,the perpetrators of such a terrible and vile act will be caught and the law applied accordingly. Respect star,mi glad fi hear sey di man now settle dun in a him new abode.
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Mad Bull….I was going to blog on this…and I think I will even thought i will say a few things here. My cousin and I were discussing this same issue (you know the one that lives in Cayman)…..anyway she has really meshed into the Caymanian lifestyle rather well…..she has stopped reading the papers…so you know being married to a Caymanian and all…you tend to think somewhat like them…(ok maybe not you). We were talking about the fact that you can’t have it all. There seems to be a certain attitude in the British Overseas Territories (Bermuda, Cayman and T and C primarily), where they feel that “we are under British rule…we live an above-average life thanks to the great economy” But all of that comes at a cost…..you’re not independent so you have to do what Britain says and follow their laws….so if being “gay” so to speak has been decriminalised in the UK…then you just have to put up AND shut up….but being the small islands there is a general belief that you have your values and even though it was not a crimonal offence, it was a moral offence and therefore punishable. The off duty cop was damn out of order to even have “warn and detain” them….damn out of order…and if Caymanians know what is good for them, they will let this go…..when you have these fanatics and activists in the “developed” world, dog nyam yuh suppa if you mess with them! So I agree that the Dept of Tourism is well in the right to pen an apology letter and it was warranted! A message to Cayman: If you want to make your own laws then get independent! I know (you know i know) that independence is a very BAD WORD in the CI…and Bermuda too. Just my two cents since I am so closely tied to both territories.
Jamaican Girl 2007′s last blog post..Butuism in Jamaica – The Palace Amusement Episode
Oonoo behave youself nuh?
First of all, it is a horrendous shame that anyone would premeditatedly break into the botanical gardens and then kill the iguanas. There is no excuse for it and no reason either. The lack of reason leads me to believe that it was likely perpetrated by ignorant youths. I feel that the CI$10,000 is a just penalty and indeed, 3 years may also be just but, the thought of anyone spending 18 years in prison for killing iguanas (even endangered ones) doesn’t sit well with me.
The batty man issue is another story. I strongly oppose the Jamaican attitude of chop de batty man. But, I also am a strong believer in people, especially visitors, respecting the culture of the places that they visit. This means that when visiting a place like Cayman, where they know that homosexuality is not tolerated, they must behave themselves. Publicly flaunting the rules of Cayman society with overtly homosexual displays, almost solely for the purpose of inflaming the populace is unacceptable. In fact it is incitement to riot which is most definitely a criminal offence. The batty men must behave themselves and I am deeply saddened by the Cayman government’s softening on this matter.
Finally I would like to address Jamaica Girl’s comment. While it is true that fanatics and activists often seem to “nyam yuh suppa if you mess with them” it doesn’t mean that their position is right. It also doesn’t mean that they represent the feelings of the majority of the populace. Indeed, these groups are almost without exception a very small, though very vocal, minority that in no way reflect popular opinion. They may create uncomfortable situations that less, shall we say, passionate people may not care to deal with but, that does not mean that society should bend to them and it certainly doesn’t mean that society should cower in fear of them making a scene or nyamming yuh suppa.
Cayman’s society and up until recently, Cayman’s government have made it clear that public homosexual displays are not acceptable in Cayman and will not be tolerated. The homosexuals that reside in Cayman, yes there are several, understand this and behave accordingly.
If homosexual visitors do not like this atmosphere, they are encouraged to vacation elsewhere. But, to knowingly insult the people and taunt the populace for no reason other than the desire to cause a disturbance is unacceptable in my opinion and the population is absolutely right to be outraged about it.
The Caymanians have already decided what they feel “is good for them” and it does not include public homosexual acts. That you find Cayman’s position “out of order” is disturbing to me and I am glad that you are not in any position to affect Cayman’s stance on the matter.
Visitors must respect the culture that they are visiting or pay the price for their disrespect!
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