A Nevispages weekly feature by Curtis Morton Sr
The way I see it, persons should be careful about THROWING STONES.
In my early developmental years, I learned the hard way, that STONES DO NOT HAVE EYES.
Growing up in Fenton Hill, I had started on a somewhat radical path. I had some ideologies and radical ways of thinking, that was certainly not born in the home run by Luther and Mildred Morton, because theirs was a strict Christian upbringing, with a base at the St. George’s Anglican church and Radio Paradise, as a constant feature at home. So where in the world did my revolutionary styled attitude come from?
I guess it was from keeping occasional company with some of the older boys in the community and by the way, that association was strictly forbidden, but not necessarily adhered to.
So, on this particular day, I was in our front yard at home, when I observed a lady, whom I knew very well, picking guinips from our tree which had branches, mark you, hanging over the road. So, in other words, she was not even trespassing. On reflection, I now know that the Devil himself or one or more of his imps inspired me ‘to punish the woman for stealing.’
You know trupit me, took up a fair-sized stone and threw it at the woman and when I heard her scream out, I bolted.
Those days, we could have made it to the Olympics for stoning mangoes, so I knew that I would have hardly missed such a huge target…and the lady was huge.
Well I newa!
The lady had to be taken to the Health Center for dressing and I remember my mother giving her a bottle of Canadian Oil (You older folks remember that tradition)? Well when my parents eventually caught up with me, I received the flogging of my life.
You would think that I would have learned my lesson well after that.
Several months later, my brother CAM and I were walking along the road, when we saw a small blue car, being driven by its owner, Mr. Ural Swanston. I think the number was 970 or something close to that. He was a well-known man in the area.
As he got closer, CAM dared me to throw a stone at the car. I asked him what he was betting and he told me that if I did it, he would give me his food, when we got home.
Bet on!
As the car was passing me, I bent down took up a stone and threw it. It hit the side of the car and then we were OUT OF PORT! An enraged Mr. Swanston tried to race after us, but we knew all of the hidden paths of Fenton Hill and so we made good our escape.
I got another hiding for my endeavors and of course, CAM disassociated himself from the plot and of course, I did not get his food….
Eventually, it sunk in that, that was not the way to go and I have certainly come out to be something much better, thanks to the fact that my parents never spared the rod when I had such indiscretions.
Fast forward to recent events of 2021, August 5th to be exact. During a mob protest in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, somebody forcibly struck Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, in the head with an object, believed to be a stone and resulted in considerable bleeding.
Now, what is shocking to me, is that even right here in Nevis, as some people speak about the incident, they are literally applauding the perpetrator.
Someone told me that he would fire all of the security forces and hire such a person who has the accuracy to pick out the target, even though the Comrade leader was surrounded by security personnel.
Let me clearly state that the bible is clear in its admonitions about RESPECT FOR AUTHORITY and there are ways to show dissent, without resorting to violence and so I cannot agree with such an action against the Prime Minister and I cannot in any way find the situation laughable either.
There is of course the famous instance in the bible when God literally sanctioned the firing of a stone to kill an individual, but that was when Goliath and the other Philistines were tormenting God’s people and God-ordained a youthful David to slay him with a stone from his sling.
Outside of that, we should not as adults, make it a habit to throw stones, neither encourage our children so to do.
That’s the way I see it. How do you see it?