Another blunt and fiery remark has placed Belize's top law enforcement official on the defensive once again. Only a short while on the job as Minister responsible for the police, the Honorable Douglas Singh who earlier this month made some harsh criticism of the undisciplined lifestyle of some of the force's senior officers. Only a few weeks after having to defend those comments, Singh finds himself again in the hot seat after remarks he made on Love Television's morning show two days ago. In an interview with the hosts of that show, Singh is said to have made insensitive and irresponsible remarks related to the death of eight year old Marquis Mahler who died as a result of a shooting incident on July 9th. Singh in his comments alluded that the hostile and dangerous environment in which eight year old Marquis was raised might have contributed to his death. This morning, the grandmother of Mahler, Marie Lewis took umbrage with Singh's comments and called the KREM Wake up Belize talk show to express her outrage to the Minister's insensitivity and assault on her family's reputation.
Marie Lewis, Grandmother - Marquis Mahler
"Yesterday when I listen to it, I said what! They can't talk about me like this. They said that I cause the death of little Marquis, me Marie Lewis because of how I am selling drugs in that yard for 40 years. 40 years ago I was only 27, so I don't understand; I was working all around at that time. The Minister doesn't know me any at all. He said that the baby that got shot, the people was selling drugs in that yard. He said that 40 Faber's Road is constant with drugs and that's what causes the little boys death. It is very shocking and hurtful for me because how can I walk the streets holding up my head? When people look at me and say Mrs. Marie, I didn't know you use to sell drugs at your yard."
Minister Doug Singh
"This is a tragic situation. An 8 year old Youngman losses his life, that's something that I think bothers everyone, it bother me. In particular it should not have happen, but I don't think that what I said was wrong; it angered me as a matter of fact that an eight year old would lose his life. I have young children myself, I know the kind of pain that that possibly would cause and I think that is one of the reasons why I say what I do. I think we have to take responsibilities for what happens to a certain extent. Some of these things is tragic and is cause by others but if there is anything that we did in our lives that could have contributed to that; we need to take responsibility for that. My whole comment was made in context of a reference that Mr. Adolphus said at the press conference held by Belizeans for Justice where he pointed out that mothers, fathers, parents have to start to take responsibility for what happen and that was the context under which I made that comment. If it offended the Lewis family and Marie Lewis then I apologize for that, but at the end of the day I wasn't wrong. We have to start this conversation where we can start to look to see where we contribute in any way to endangering people in our lives and that was the only under which it was said."
Jim McFadzean
"Minister, do you regret maybe the way you coin the remarks about this family?"
Minister Doug Singh
"No I don't actually because I don't believe I said anything that was inaccurate. Some people may say what I said could have been insensitive and if they perceive it as such then I'll apologize but there isn't very many easy way to say certain things sometimes and I think too often we hide behind that as a fact. Some things aren't easy to say and maybe there could have been different choices of words but I don't know how else you could have said 40 Faber's Road is a place known for this type of activity. There is a lot of things people could say differently about me. I am one of the people targeted in the media just about every week for just about everything and I don't take that personally. I put myself in this position and I have to handle it the way I do. When you put yourself in certain positions and stones are thrown you, you have to be able to handle it."
The Minister says he will not retreat from calling ' a spade a spade' when necessary.
