Editorial-
A cancer that would normally be cut
out in any free society has been festering and spreading in Belize at an
alarming rate. This cancer is eating away at the right of freedom of expression
and the right of free speech. Citizens are being persecuted at an intolerable
rate for giving their opinions or speaking out about inefficiencies, lack of
service or corruption in businesses, government and utility companies. In a
supposed "free country" freedom of speech and freedom of the press are
guaranteed rights which individuals are not punished for exercising. If this is
not the case, Belize is neither free nor do its citizens have any rights to
express themselves; there are daily examples of this
happening. The recent firing of Kimo Jolly,
an extremely qualified Environmental Science teacher at Sacred Heart Junior
College in San Ignacio, is yet another slap in the face to freedom of expression
and freedom of speech to all Belizeans. Mr. Jolly's termination came after he
held an open forum for students, teachers and the mayors of San Ignacio and
Benque Viejo. The purpose of the forum was to discuss the sale and privatization
of WASA to a foreign company. This open and transparent discussion resulted in
the students suggesting a resolution and subsequently submitting this resolution
to the Prime Minister the following day. Mr.
Jolly is only one of many victims in this instance. The students, who were
entering their final semester of a two-year course taught by Mr. Jolly, are left
without a teacher, and currently, their future is uncertain. Mr. Jolly's
dismissal letter was given to him with no official explanation for his
termination. Principal Chris Aird, who gave Jolly the letter, told him
unofficially, that he had put the school in jeopardy too many times. Mr. Aird
added that when he (Mr. Jolly) advocated against the Chalillo Dam, the
government threatened to close the school down. It is a
shame that educating our youths, the future leaders of tomorrow, about issues
facing our country has become a punishable offense. In a letter of support for
Mr. Jolly, sent to the Amandala newspaper, the students stated that, the board of Governors
had "victimized them-freedom of speech has no value-we have
elected a bunch of dictators to tell us what to do and when to do it-we have no
future-no voice". Is this the message we want programmed into
our youths of today? Don't get involved with issues affecting your country-your
opinion and views are irrelevant and unwanted. Or was this a way to teach them a
lesson on how a dictatorship operates as opposed to how a democracy
operates? The victimization of people expressing their
opinions is unlimited and crosses all lines. Belize Electricity Limited's own
hydro-engineer was dismissed for openly expressing his opinions concerning the
feasibility of Mollejon and Chalillo Dams. Independent countrywide and worldwide
studies, and reports on the effects, costs, benefits, viable options and
environmental damage of the dam fell on deaf ears. Constructive dialogue was
not, and is still not, the order of the day. It seems the only rationale for
this project is to benefit a few at the expense of many, or they would allow the
facts to determine the project's fate. As one of the only
true independently owned and operated newspapers in Belize, the San Pedro Sun owes no favors to private enterprises
or political parties; we have no puppet-master pulling our strings. Having the
number one Internet site on Ambergris Caye, and the largest amount of foreign
subscribers of any newspaper in Belize, one of our goals is to promote Ambergris
Caye and Belize as a fun place for tourists planning a vacation to. Another goal
is to give the people a voice when they feel something is not right and can get
no satisfaction through the proper channels. We also believe that helping to
inform people by printing factual, accurate and unbiased information, we will
aid them in making more knowledgeable opinions concerning matters facing the
country. Because of this belief, the San Pedro Sun easily identifies with individuals whose right to free speech has been
threatened or when they have unjustly been victimized for exercising their
rights. We have experienced this many times before and expect to many times in
the future. Last year, an editor of this newspaper was publicly threatened by a
minister of government and told "don't f**k with me or you will suffer the
consequences". This threat came as a result of our accurate, factual articles
published, and editorials that suggested alternative sites that would not
destroy the environment or condemn the occupants to eventual slum conditions in
the San Mateo Phase II subdivision. Just recently, a local company pulled their
advertising from the San Pedro Sun because we
published an Open Forum letter from a private citizen, that was not libelous or
slanderous, but which did not show them in a "shining light". All are failed
attempts to erode freedom of speech and freedom of expression in this
newspaper. The reason for citing the above
examples is not to whine, complain or criticize, but to show that the threats to
freedom of expression and speech are real in this country. They take many shapes
and forms, they happen countrywide, at all levels and no one is immune. There is
one thing all of these examples have in common; an attempt to try and silence
the messenger instead of dealing with the issues and points raised. Do not think that these instances can happen only to
someone else. No matter who is today's victim, if one person is denied their
right to freedom of expression or speech, we all, as individuals and as a
country, suffer. By remaining silent and not speaking out against these
injustices, we are in fact, helping to topple the first domino that will stop
only when freedom of speech is no longer a right, but a privilege that only a
select few can exercise. The San Pedro Sun is dedicated to the preservation of
freedom of the press and even more dedicated to an individual's right to freedom
of speech and expression. The San Pedro Sun is
first and foremost the people's newspaper. We will not compromise our reader's
trust when they write a letter to the editor. It is not our official or
unofficial policy to call the agency, organization or business that the letter
addresses, to ask them if it is OK with them to print the letter in order to
gain favored status. We will not be intimidated by threats and we will not
remain silent for the promise of financial gain. The San Pedro
Sun will not let a price tag be put on its integrity.
We must all unite as one and stand strong against the
forces that seek to punish those who speak out or have opposing opinions. We
must constantly remind them that, this is in fact a democratic society, and we
will not sit idly by while our rights are cast aside. It is time for all
citizens to "get up, stand up". While we cannot always agree with each other, we
should be able to agree that we should be allowed to disagree. If you are not
willing to work towards a solution, you unknowingly become part of the problem.
It is time to publicly expose those who seek to suppress our rights. "A nation
of sheep begets a government of wolves" (Edward R. Murrow).
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