And Still I Rise

I didn't know Agasssi Fraser but I know with the discovery of his body a household in Green Hill will never be the same again. Apparently, the 18 year old Community College student went missing on Thursday and at some point his kidnapper/s demanded ransom. I am in shock that kidnapping has come to our shores. Kidnapping is what I associated with Trinidad and Tobago, not St Vincent and the Grenadines. In my naivety I reasoned the country is too small, everybody knows everybody hence the ridiculousness of carrying out kidnappings. Now, my theories have been thrown on their head because kidnapping is here and most likely will have an extended stay.

I hate to say this but lately I have problems with fellow Vincentians referring to this country as "Home of the Blessed". Yes we are blessed with natural beauty and fertile soil but we are not acting like blessed people when raping, killing and maiming one another seems as easy as breathing. Couple weeks ago the list of murder cases for the Criminal assizes gave me the shivers. No doubt the assizes would have had its share of woundings and sexual crimes as well. Where are we going?

Something has got to give. I don't know about others but at times I feel so uneasy here. So many people seem to be so tightly wound that you avoid bumping into them for fear of being on the receiving end of their frustrations. As a woman, given the prevalence of rape I find myself worrying about my safety a little too often for my liking. Strangers in the neighbourhood give me cause to pause and I feel uneasy when men give me more than the passing glance. Ever so often the unthinkable-leaving St Vincent comes to my mind all because at times I feel as if I'm walking on a tightrope. My heart goes out to the Fraser family whose grief was so hard to watch. I have no quick fix remedy to offer but I trust with time healing will begin. As for my beloved St Vincent I am just not that optimistic.