According to the article below, the editor of the Sunday Sun Carol Martindale has been threatened by political strategist Hartley Henry. Henry is described as a “senior political advisor to Prime Minister David Thompson”. Prime Minister Thompson is the head of the Democratic Labour Party, so I expect that he will soon issue a public statement to distance himself from this situation.

Why is this paper so upset when it has consistently ignored death threats made against others?

The Sunday Sun is the Sunday edition of the Nation Newspaper. Click on this link to read the entire article:  Nation News, 8/23/2009: THREAT TO SUN EDITOR

Here are a couple of quotes, the first expresses Henry’s concern:

Just before 2 p.m. Henry called Martindale to warn her that the results of the poll conducted for the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) and released yesterday get the same Front Page treatment as polls done on behalf of this newspaper.

Is this the “threat” in the second quote?

He said: “For the last couple of months the SUNDAY SUN has become the mouthpiece of Mia Mottley. If the story [referring to reports of the CARDES Poll] is not played the right way, I would turn Barbados against you,” he told a shocked Martindale.

Threats Common in Barbados - Law Enforcement Unreliable

Under the previous Barbados Labour Party (BLP) government, threats were common. It was also common for threats to be ignored by the authorities - threats were not investigated, and they were not reported in the media. Here is a quote on this topic from a previous post, Does the Threat Wording on BFPE Site Suggest Barbados Police Involvement?:

These threats should not be minimized, as they are already being acted upon. I can recall five reports of arson against people who were at odds with the Government.

• Nitin Amersey, CARSICOT - arson attempt
• Angela Cole, author political commentary, mother of Gary Cole - arson (two instances)
• Adrian Loveridge, hotelier and reporter - arson (two instances)

I am not aware of a single arrest or conviction related to any of the above!

And then there was the advice that Peter Simmons, the brother of the Barbados Chief Justice, gave to a lawyer that was suing him: “Well, all I would say to McKenzie is that when he comes to Barbados he must walk good and he must watch his back …”

The Nation did not investigate a single one of these stories!

Timid Nation Ignores Death Threats to My Family - Overreacts to Perceived Threat!

The Nation has lodged complaints with the Inter-American Press Association and the World Press Freedom Committee. Why did the Nation show no concern when threats were made to bash in my mother’s head with a rock, and to slit my throat?

Keltruth Corp. considers itself an unofficial member of the international press. (Yes, a few days ago the BBC linked to our story on Greystone/Blackwater!) The Nation should have been concerned about attacks on the press when these threats were being made against Keltruth Corp.

The Nation should have been even more concerned when I published this story, Yes, there is a link between the BLP and Threats of Violence,  exposing the fact that the BLP blog had a prominent active hyperlink to a web site that was publishing violent threats! The BLP did remove the offending link shortly after I broke the story, but the damage had already been done.

The Nation News is perceived by many Barbadians as the lap-dog of the Barbados Labour Party. Could this explain why the Nation ignored reporting on certain threats?  Barbados Free Press stated “Many of the threats came from a computer at the Barbados Parliament that is used by MP William Duguid.”  (quote from: COVER-UP: Royal Barbados Police Force Ignores Violent Threats To Businessman)

Compare the Severity of the Threats

The Nation is getting all bent out of shape because somebody threatened to destroy someone’s reputation, yet the same paper has ignored death and other violent threats.

Is the Nation News starting a new era in Barbadian history when threats will not be tolerated? Or is this a political ploy by the Nation to score points against the DLP, and will the Nation continue to ignore other more serious threats?

• Violent Threats in the Tropical Paradise of Barbados
• Does the Threat Wording on BFPE Site Suggest Barbados Police Involvement?
• Why have police in Barbados failed to investigate death threats?
• Mathew Chapter 23, v. 14 & 24: “…  scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, … ” and “Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.“