One hundred days on from the general election, Barbadians appeared sharply divided over the country’s direction, with anxiety about violent crime, rising living costs and limited opportunities for young people shaping public opinion in Bridgetown on Friday.
Chadavia Edwards told Barbados TODAY she chose not to vote even though it was her first eligible election because she felt disconnected from the political system:
“I felt like it didn’t really make any sense for me to vote because everybody want me to vote for who they want to win, but nothing is benefiting me nor my generation.”
She added: “Everything catered towards who they know voting for them, which is the middle aged, the mid-twenty people. And I wasn’t that demographic at all.”
Edwards also spoke of pressure from relatives to support a political party but said: “I didn’t end up voting. It didn’t make any sense.”
For Andrea Parris, crime remains the country’s most pressing issue and one she believes requires urgent action from authorities:
“I first would like to speak about the crime situation in this country. I think it’s a big one and it really needs to be dealt with from the top, from the Supreme Court side, and you know, from everybody putting in a collaborative effort to get this crime situation under control.”
Referring to recent violent incidents, she said citizens deserved to feel safe in their own country:
“We as citizens, we live here, this is our country, this is our home and so that the government owes a great responsibility to bring citizens… a sense of calm, a sense of peace… living here without fear of gun violence.”
But others believed the administration should be given more time.
“I think they’ve done an excellent job so far,” said Donville Mayers. “I think certain things will take time to work. So you’ve got to give the government time for certain things to happen.”
Mark King shared a similar view, arguing that despite economic challenges, the government appeared to be making progress.
“So far it varies. People would say that they haven’t seen any real changes, but as far as I can tell, the government is, in my opinion, trying its best with what it has to work with.”
He added: “It is showing more forward movement than previous administrations, and it is trying.”
Crime was also a major concern for snowcone vendor Nikki, who warned that innocent people could become victims of ongoing violence.
“Even though people say they’re gang related, even if that is true, we still have to look at the fact that innocent people can get caught up in this whole thing… a bullet don’t have a name.”
She argued that harsher punishments were needed, saying, “It’s unacceptable. I think something need to be done about them.”
Shoe and bag repairman Allan Cadogan also called for stronger penalties and greater intervention in schools.
“Crime and violence plaguing Barbadians, especially violence,” he said. “Violence causing the most problem in Barbados, and it’s the young people that mostly causing this.”
The authorities “need to do something about it severely” and suggested tougher consequences for crimes involving weapons, Cadogan said.
(LE)
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