Mothers march to end deadly violence

There are no guarantees that it will do any good, but at least the hundreds of Belizeans who participated in yesterday’s march against violence are doing something to reverse a situation that is shaking the core of our once peaceful society. News Five’s Marion Ali has the story.

Marion Ali, Reporting
Battlefield Park was packed on Sunday afternoon with people wearing T-shorts and carrying placards with pictures of their loved ones, all victims of fatal violence. The march from the park and rally at the Belize City Centre was their way of protesting the unacceptably high level of senseless killing now gripping the country. It was organised by the group called Mothers Organized for Peace and its Vice President, Therese Felix, who herself lost a son on Mother’s Day last year.

Therese Felix, Vice President, Mothers Organized for Peace
“Either we the people do something or the government have to do something. As yoh notice no P.U.P, no U.D.P, nobody noh the seh nothing; soh we have to get up and start to do something. Da Belize this, Belize da fi we.”

Another mother, Joan Sutherland, says since someone killed her son almost a year ago over a video game, life has and will never be the same.

Joan Sutherland, son murdered
“Ever since the 10th of November last year everything change in my home. Everything we do, everything we say bring back memories of him, you know, and I know that I will never be the same person again because when they killed my son they took a part of me and you try not to cry but you don’t even know when the tears start rolling.”

Deborah Trapp lost her son, Jason Avila, four years ago.

Deborah Trapp, son murdered
“It’s time for us to put down the guns and live in peace the right way because fi living this kinda life ih noh necessary.”

Dona Castillo’s son, Tyrone, was killed exactly one month ago. She told us the toughest part is not having her son around the dinner table.

Dona Castillo, son murdered
“Really sad. Everyday I thinking about him especially when I get like food. I thinking about him a lot cause I usually cook food for my children they although they already out of my hand. It’s really a sad thing.”

Castillo was killed while attending the wake of George “Junie Balls” McKenzie, himself gunned down last month. Melissa Major was his common-law wife.

Melissa Major, Common-law Husband murdered
“This need fi stop cause ih only the make we hurt more, especially me weh have my two son they an now they end up without wah pa an ah no really think ih the pay, so I da really wan they stop. Stop the violence.”

Marion Ali
“What about youngsters who have wah bad temper an they no really the think bout unu when they pull wah gun?”

Melissa Major
“Then they need fi think about God. Cause they noh the think about He right now.”

Marion Ali
“Weh you think Junie Balls message mi wah be to they this evening?”

Melissa Major
“Fi he message mi wah be fi just mek they just stop the violence an thing cause he neva really into that. He change ih life many many years ago an I no think he mi really into violence anymore. I know that fi wa fact cause he always used to seh he wah raise fi he son they. Soh I know he mi wah seh peace mein.”

Lorna Wade’ s very personal reasons for marching focused on domestic abuse.

Lorna Wade, Domestic Abuse Survivor
“Domestic violence starts at home. The young man they see they father beat up pan they mother and fi get back at that father they go out deh and hurt other people soh I the cry out fi mek the violence stop at home because I believe that that da the root ah the violence at home.”

Wade encourages women in abusive relationships that it may be difficult but it’s possible to get out.

Lorna Wade
“Start to love yourself than respect yourself fi noh mek nobody beat up pan yoh and from do moment yoh start sight violence get out of it because it’s not a healthy relationship not even for you, also not for your children.”

Marion Ali
“For some women it’s not as easy to get out.”

Lorna Wade
“For me it was a hard thing. It nearly cost my life but I am out, so I don’t want them to look at my experience. I want them to look before my experience and get out.”

The march had the participation of a number of organizations, including the Council of Churches, represented by its president, Father Leroy Flowers. He had this sobering message for every Belizean.

Fr. Leroy Flowers, President, Belize Council of Churches
“The pain and the anguish when somebody loses a loved one is really really really difficult and so it’s simply to express our sympathy and our support and to recognise that this engage all of us, not some, it’s all of us. We have got to recognize that we have what I call a culture of death in this society whereby it is of the heart. Unless we have a change off heart towards each other, towards life itself this cycle will continue no matter what.”

Marion Ali for News five

In a tragic coincidence, around the same time Sunday’s march was leaving Battlefield Park, thirty-two year old Ian Reid, wounded last Wednesday in a ride by shooting on Dean Street, succumbed to his injuries at the K.H.M.H. Reid’s murder was number seventy for the year. No one has yet been arrested for the crime.