Independent Senator Canon Dr John Rogers has described Barbados as a “society under siege”, warning that while a proposed anti-gang law was necessary, legislation alone would not solve the country’s crime problem.
“Barbados has become a foreign place,” he said, adding that the country had become foreign not only in terms of demographics but also because of ideologies that had taken root within society.
The Anglican cleric called for tougher parenting, stronger community involvement, and a return to discipline as the Senate moved on Friday to tackle rising gang activity and violent crime through the Criminal Gangs (Prevention and Control) Bill.
Senator Rogers declared he was speaking on the bill with a heavy heart, noting the approach of several historic milestones, including the 400th anniversary of the settlement of the island, the 60th anniversary of Independence, and the fifth anniversary of becoming a republic.
Drawing parallels between the bill and historical laws enacted during slavery, he reflected on the role that Parliament once played in passing legislation to control enslaved Africans.
“Laws were implemented in various parts of the Caribbean and the Americas to control those who were then referred to as bucks and wenches, a deliberate term, speaking of their classification as chattel,” he said.
He lamented that, centuries later, Barbados was once again being forced to pass legislation to control those engaged in criminal behaviour.
“It is a very sad day for me. It’s a bit of a lament for us all as a society. It is a day that speaks to a society under siege.”
The senator also reflected on the role of the church in shaping Barbadian society, noting that next year will mark 400 years since the establishment of the Anglican church on the island.
While acknowledging the Church of England’s links to the transatlantic slave trade, Senator Rogers, the rector of St George Parish Church, credited churches and religious organisations with helping to strengthen the country’s moral and social foundations.
“It would be equally disingenuous of me if I said that the church did not make a great contribution to the development of our society. The Anglicans, the Methodists, the Roman Catholics, the Moravians, and, in more recent times, the Adventists and several Pentecostal brothers and sisters have contributed significantly to the strengthening of the fabric of this society, both moral and spiritual and particularly in guiding our children.”
He highlighted organisations such as the Church Lads’ Brigade, Church Girls’ Brigade, Pathfinders and Cub Scouts as examples of programmes that helped shape generations of young Barbadians.
Turning to the legislation itself, Rogers said the criminal gangs bill should not be viewed in isolation from the interception of communications legislation passed last year.
He warned that modern gangs were no longer simply neighbourhood groups but were increasingly connected to regional and international criminal networks.
“What we are talking about as gangs today are not just locally grown groups. They’re international syndicates. There’s connectivity all over the Caribbean and the globe and so we have a big problem on our hands.”
While supporting the bill, Senator Rogers cautioned that lawmakers should not assume legislation alone would resolve the issue.
“We can pass the greatest piece of legislation today, but there needs to be more that is done. We have to go to the very root of our society, the very core, and seek to transform the mindsets that are leading to the problems that we have.”
The senator welcomed comments made earlier in the debate about reclaiming communities and said societal change would require difficult conversations about values, discipline and personal responsibility.
He also welcomed the Ministry of Education Transformation’s review of school grooming policies, arguing that schools had a responsibility to prepare young people for the world of work.
“When we let the little boys go to school with their hair knotty and looking unkempt, we’re really setting them up for not getting work because who’s going to hire them later on? And when I’m running my business, I want a certain look, I want a certain behaviour.”
Senator Rogers further expressed concern about what he described as the growing influence of drugs on society
Referencing comments made during the debate linking crime and drug use, he repeated concerns he first raised during the debate on cannabis legislation in 2019.
“I was very concerned about the prevalence of cannabis on our streets, and I think that we can all see the results of it now. I think we’re beginning to see the fallout from some of these things.”
The independent lawmaker also argued that crime could not be separated from broader cultural influences.
Pointing to some of the content emerging during Crop Over, he questioned what he viewed as increasingly vulgar messages in music and entertainment.
“It says something about our culture and how we value each other, how we value our women, how we see them, how they see themselves.”
He urged cultural practitioners to produce uplifting, values-based content.
“We have to get serious about our craft. We have to reshape what is decent and what is acceptable within our community.”
He also criticised what he described as society’s reluctance to discipline children, arguing that many young people were no longer taught to be accountable for their actions.
“Before you even thought of doing something stupid, you thought about what this will do to my parents, how will people see them, what will people say? Nowadays, we can’t talk about corporal punishment because we do not raise children anymore, we raise eggs.”
He further argued that Barbados had developed a culture of entitlement, where some individuals expected success without putting in the necessary effort.
“Some don’t go to school, they don’t study anything, but they want it big. They want to live like everybody else who’s working.”
While acknowledging that employment opportunities could be limited, Senator Rogers encouraged young people to take available work while pursuing better prospects.
“Only the grave digger starts from the top. Everybody wants to start from the top. Start with what you can get until you can get something better.”
The senator maintained that stronger intervention was needed from an early age before troubled children progressed to more serious forms of criminal behaviour.
“Some of these little boys don’t have the mental capacity to reason that if I throw this bottle at him and it miss, it might hit somebody else. All they can focus on is throwing this bottle, and they grow up with that mindset until they get a gun in their hands.”
He also called for greater emphasis on civics education, arguing that citizens needed to better understand how criminal behaviour affects families, communities and the country’s reputation.
“How does it affect the outlook of Barbados in the eyes of the international world?” he asked.
During his contribution, Senator Rogers became emotional as he reflected on the recent fatal shooting of a former student and cricketer whom he had coached.
He offered condolences to the victim’s family and said incidents such as these highlighted the devastating impact of crime on communities.
He also recalled the killing of a vendor, describing the case as one that continued to trouble him because of the victim’s efforts to build a life for himself and his family before being killed by a stray bullet.
Arguing that stronger action was needed, he welcomed provisions in the bill aimed at closing loopholes and imposing tougher penalties on criminal gangs and their associates.
As he concluded his speech, Senator Rogers appealed to parents, particularly single mothers, to exercise greater control over their children and warned that societies inevitably enact laws to address behaviour they can no longer tolerate.
“If we’re going to behave like bucks and wenches, laws will have to be passed to control us. Tie your children.”
(LG)
