THE head of the Roman Catholic Church in Barbados is urging Barbadians not to turn a blind eye to the criminal activity taking place on the island.
“All of us together need to save our country,” stressed the Most Reverend Dr. Charles Jason Gordon.
“If we as the citizens don’t take back security of our country, then we as the citizens will see it slipping away. People think that security is the business of the police, but every citizen is responsible for the safety of the nation.”
He is therefore calling on Barbadians to contact the Royal Barbados Police Force or the community-based action programme Crime Stoppers, instead of pretending not to notice illegal acts.
The Bishop, who was at the time addressing the press conference of the 10th Annual General Meeting of SIGNIS Caribbean, explained that drugs bring guns and guns bring violence.
“But, drugs also bring a capacity to corrupt,” he pointed out.
“And once you have a drug culture that emerges you have the capacity of corrupting officials, then things start to come into the country much too easily because people turn blind eyes where they should be much more vigilant.”
Bishop Gordon further observed, “What we are witnessing is something in its embryonic stage still in Barbados, and something that if Barbadians come together it can be dealt with and settled… Any citizen who knows of someone conducting criminal activity and not reporting it, is contributing to a problem.” (TL)