Those Drums...

I remember as a child looking on at  Sesame Street and if nothing else stuck I recall "Those drums...those drums...they're saying TAXI!...I tell you it's a jungle out there".  This crossed my mind as I observed the undercurrent of discord and rumbling throughout the country as mini race wars flare up and die down and then flare up again.  We have been called a rainbow republic by many and a melting pot has been used as an avid description.  But does that description fit?

Melting pot would leave one with the idea of a melding...with no definition of where one starts and the other ends.  Can that really be an apt description of this nation?  Are we so well meshed that our unity is thing that bonds us together?  I think not.

  When those in high office can look at a current disparity of ethnicity while blatantly disregarding the History which caused that disparity I think not.  When we as a people vote in tribes and not on issues, I think not.  When the ethnicity of the nation's new leader can bring cries of "Is we time now", I think not.  When those who are reprimanded by people who take umbrage at their statements can then turn around and bash an entire political party based solely on that fact alone, I think not.

For all our forward thinking pronouncements, we continue to labour with colonial time thinking.  We judge a man based on his skin, on who is father is, on what his station in life is and not on the make up of his mind...the making of his mentality and value of his thoughts.

We have been described as a Carnival people.  Thinking only of partying and having a good time but I dare to say that beneath this mentality is the real one...that of anger, rage and racial divisiveness.  We have had more uprisings than neccessary, two of the major ones being the 1970 riots and the 1990 Coup. But what have we learned?  Did we really learn anything from them?  Or did we go back to our partying when the rioting was done?  Or is it that we mask how we really feel with all the good time vibrations and talk of unity and when the dam can no longer be held we have a large display of violence...only to go right back into our party mode.

Can we even fix this? Do we even address this?  How can we when chairmen quote statistics and then make implications of discrimination.  How can we when those in government defend this statement and equally denounce this statement at the same time (A house divided against itself cannot stand).  When calls are made from the upper echelons of society to cast aspersions on promotion boards and those who sit on it, where do we start to address this disparity?  

Why have we descended into a "one ah we" mentality?  Where does it say that I cannot be served fairly if the man who serves me is not of my ethnicity?  A senator asked this and I find it pertinent: If the police service is mixed equally of both Africans and Indians, then does this mean that the crime situation will be better solved?

If I am stopped by a police officer who is not mixed, should I as a mixed person fear ill treatment?  I ask this since a chairman suggested that Indo Trinidadian population could not feel entirely safe since there were not enough Indo Trinidadians on the police force and Indians represented 50% of the population (I am not sure where he got that statistic from).  My question is where will this end...do the Africans have a right to feel safe only with African officers?  Then what of the rest of the nation, the people the chairman conveniently left out, the mixed people like myself.  Where do they fall?  Should they also clamour for their own to have proper representation?

Those of us who have decided that the chairman is correct simply because he is quoting statistics and statements from a study, I urge you to be proactive and take another listen to the chairman's statements, not just the statistics, but also the implications and insinuations proffered.  I urge you to logically think about what is being said and where statements like this can take an already tribal nation.  Put aside the fact that support is coming from the Opposition for this man's removal...look closely at what this man has said.  Look at the genesis of his statements.  A letter written by a man who feared the make up of the promotion board would affect his ability to be promoted...this same man who is president in a place where he claims gross imbalance...then who would have voted for him? Not the very same people he is claiming cannot be fair?

Yes I have been reminded of drums over the last few days...drums of discontentment, drums of tribal calls, drums to racial divide, drums of racial tension, drums of ethnic divide, drums of violence and impending doom.  My real concern is what happens when the drums go silent.

A home for the Raceless??

When I was much younger I took the decision (which I consider foolish now) to avoid voicing my opinions on serious issues especially those connected in any way to race, religion or politics.  A few days ago, I realised why I made this rash decision.

It seems to me that people in general are unable to sustain any form of serious discussion on any of these topics for long before it becomes a name calling, people bashing free for all.

I am a mixed person so it is possible my view has been skewed by many things but being raised the daughter of an African man and a mixed woman, I still don't know where I fall in this world.  My mother's side is so mixed that we are not sure what the mixture is and where the mixing truly began because my grand parents are also mixed.  We call ourselves callaloo (it seems like an apt definition to me). Even my father's side is mixed so we truly don't know where we stand. 

All of that being said, this has no bearing on me because I am the product of hard working parents who worked and are still working hard every day of their lives to have every thing they do.  I am the product of a perfectionist teacher who strove for greatness in all that was done and by extension went on to make perfectionist, obsessive compulsive offspring who strive hard at everything. 

I did not persevere because of my race (which race is it?), my religion (I believe in spirit not religion) or my political affiliations (I have none). So it never ceases to amuse me that I am judged because of my dark skin (thank you daddy) being refused service or ignored in certain establishments. If I have an opinion about the government I am either "UNC", "COP", "PP" or "PNM" depending on the view I have taken.  I am an apologist when it suits them, a sycophant if they choose and racist to my bones if they find me so inclined.

It must be my mixed heritage that affords me the luxury of deconstructing both the spoken and the written words and taking out the gems of wisdom and pushing aside the rest.  Maybe because of my mixed up heritage I don't get easily offended by words meant as a suggestion or as a spark to discourse. 

Stereotypes will always be with us.  We may not like them but let us be honest, there is a sliver of truth in many of them.  Some of us fit the mold and some of us don't, that is just the way life is.  Becoming over emotional because of a statement viewed as a stereotype does not help anyone.  Bashing the writer and attempting (badly I might add) to assassinate his writing skills does nothing to help your cause especially when I see authors who craft similar pieces of work but with more offensive language being lauded for their attempts.  It will only leave those of us you consider "non-black" (my father and most of my family would laugh at this) to believe that the root of your discontent is with the race of the author not the content of his writing.

These past few days I have seen people whom I held in a very distinguished class, degrade, character assassinate and abuse each other over writings which I have yet to find offense in especially since the comments which followed were even more offensive from the same people crying foul.  To date I have read over 300 comments from the last few days and maybe 1/4 of them attack the real issue, it would seem that when it comes to certain topics all sense of reason flies through the door.  I watched as one young lady assaulted all and sundry and then proceeded later to say she was only commenting on the issues...if foul language did not spark the issue, it has no bearing in the discourse that follows.  

I have learned that you can find evidence to validate any view you have in life and that is why it is not that serious for me, I will read it all, disagree when necessary and agree when required.  If you could calmly listen to "Compare and Contrast" and further seek to deconstruct that and validate it, then by all means you can calmly deconstruct any attempts to call a spade a spade.

What developed this week, opened my eyes to just how emotional and one sided society still is to race issues.  I now understand the political divide and even some of the religious divide.  I maintain however that if we are unable to discuss these sensitive issues without allowing them to spiral into the personal sphere then we will never be mature enough to tackle the underbelly of the problem.  This is the underbelly of the problem...call it income or disproportionate sharing of wealth if you want but at the underbelly it starts and ends with race, until we see that we are spinning top in mud.

What happens to those of us who are spanning multiple races? Is it that we have no voice or should we only discuss other multi-racial sectors? 

The ability of many to disregard the racial impact on many sections of this plural society of ours baffles me to no end.  Diversionary tactics and burying the issue in talks of racism will not help the issue at all.  What brews beneath may scare many of us when it surfaces.  We don't have cross burnings and lynchings but do not let society's ability to muffle their internal hatred and bias allow you to believe that there is not a real race issue burning here.  I personally would prefer a viable solution to be forthcoming before this racial dam bursts indeed.

I viewed no statistical data, nor looked at any polls.  These are my views based solely on what I have seen happening daily before my eyes in conjunction with all of my experiences.  If that negates my thoughts...by all means you need not read them.

The Ostrich Effect...

 I take a small step away from my usual views and observations.

Today afforded me a view into the belly of a beast I found quite utterly disturbing to say the least.  I am at a loss to understand how a person's views while being almost accepted can be totally discarded based on their ethnicity.  I have made the point time and time again that conclusions and views should be embraced in the spirit for which they were written and I contend that throwing out the baby with the bathwater helps no one.

Firstly I take offense that a person boasting of degrees can read a post written in their native language and take from it ideas which were neither implied nor written.  I am of the view that if you want to brandish both your ethnicity and intelligence in my face, they should be used wisely.  To deconstruct a composition and do so incorrectly, thereby misleading those who may trust your judgment does no justice to you or the education you so proudly boast. 

Additionally, to find racism on the wings of a butterfly is equally senseless (this is merely to show the sheer ridiculousness of the statements in which apparent racism was found).  To claim bigotry and racism where there is none is a foolish stance to adopt.  Pretending that the stereotypes which have been exposed do not exist in your neck of the woods is preposterous.  Burying your head like an ostrich in the sand will in no way bring a solution the underlying problem.  As a nation we face many issues, as black people we face even more, many of our lower income youths and by extension their families daily face social issues, some of their own making but many which society has nurtured them into.  Pretending that they do not occupy more than 80% of the societal ills will not make the problem go away.

Let us be honest, many lower income families face the drugs, crime, gang war aspects every day of their lives.  So maybe we have a variety of ethnicity falling victim to very low income but in most instances, their reaction to it will not be the same as my black people (yes my).  Now while their will be those who overcome the path society has already set for them and rise above it to become our doctors, lawyers, nurses etc...even more will succumb and become our gangstas, assassins, drug mules, drug addicts etc. 

I am aware that any ethnicity can have these categories but randomly take a look at any 'Justice On Time' vehicle and look at those being held for remand, that alone says there is a problem.  It cannot be racist to state a blatant fact, our people are in trouble and we need to find a clear path to begin helping them.  Flying off the handle at a stereotype that is clearly true does nothing for you and does nothing for your or my people.  We are all aware that all blacks do not fall into the same category, I did not and I am proud and glad of that, but those who have (and they are so many now) why can't we use the education that we have been afforded to help them?

Shooting the messenger will not change the message.  Pretending there is no problem provides no solution.  It is beyond me what value is to be gained from becoming emotional and wantonly shooting those who bring a proper message or ask a valid question.

How can you tell a man that because of who is he cannot ask a question or tackle an issue?  What you are doing is nothing short of hypocrisy.  How can you presume to tell a man that because he is not black, while he makes a valid point, his validity is lost because of ethnicity?  How can your point be valid by saying that all other races have the same issues so why dwell on one?  Really?  Why don't you instead accept that there is a problem and try to have meaningful discourse to solve or mend it.

There is no real place for emotion in healthy discourse.  If  we are to move forward as a society, we must begin to tackle the underlying issues.  We must accept that we have a problem, we must accept that if the comments or conclusions are valid, there is no place in there for the race of the author.

When the Advantageous come out to play

Against my better nature I write this tiny piece.  This morning what came to fruition was months/years in the making regardless of what an unsuspecting populace seems to think.  The love affair was played out in the media we all saw the visits, and photo ops.  In my humble opinion we are all entitled to like whomever we feel but the minute you take up an office of influence and authority, this view of whom you like should not make its way to the public domain.

So it came with little surprise that the AG, who has already shown that he has no knowledge of  the power or role his office carries, would publicly proclaim his backing of a contestant in a major competition.  The asinine aspects of the situation were further compounded when the said contestant attempted to baffle the public with cow fodder by implying that the comment was made in the AG's role as a normal citizen of this country.

I don't know about anyone else but I waited patiently for his name to be called as winner.  The people voted you say?  Okay then why have regional judges?  The government does not pick the winners you say?  Oh Really?  He 'mash up' the place you say?  Did he really?  Were there no other contestants who performed better?  He deserves it because of all his years of service you say?  Absolute rubbish, if that is the case give him an award and all the others deserving for their performance through the years.  

So this man comes back Superguy to save us from  terrible artistes and show them how it's done.  He showed them they need to drop off their latest CD for the PM.  They need to make media photo ops with the relevant government officials.  Honour the the right people at the right time.  Don't forget to have a kiddies show.  Act very above board when those in high places endorse you.  Most importantly act very surprised when you win.  To add the cherry on top, have the PM on stage with you at a major concert so that your fans know exactly what should be done.  Have you artistes who dragged the artform down learned the lesson being taught?

To make matters worse I see fans talking about no politics in that? Come on people grow a pair, a brain or something useful.  Call a spade for what it is and stop bowing to antics and cheap tricks.

Trinis need to stop making excuses and allowing nonsense and ripe smelling gobar.  A man who has been out of the competition circuit for 16 or 17 years and then claims to return because the current stock of artistes dragging down the art...of course this had nothing to do with the new Two Million dollar prize money....no not at all.

Don't worry, they are all coming out to play and we are lapping it up.  More to come.  Well done T&T...Well Done!!

Changing the Exchange & Getting a Refund

On that fateful day many awoke with bushy, bright eyes looking forward to the promise of a brighter tomorrow.  This was our day, 'tomorrow' was finally here and we would begin to see the development and transparency we had long hoped for.  A sweet farewell was bid to the tyranny of the past and Trinbago awoke alive with expectation.

This is what the populace really embraced.

Misdirection.  If you can't get them to stop talking about it, then throw out something that will send them in a totally different direction.  This can be partnered with smoke screens, red herrings and unicorns.  Many apologists fought hard trying to lead the public to believe that these were simple gaffes, unintentional.  Are they really? Who could forget the Fazeer fiasco which was promptly followed by the biggest form of misdirection laid on the country to date The SIA scandal (fondly called Spy vs Spy in many quarters).  The public called for redress and as we grew restless, we were catapulted into 360 degree direction as names were rolled off a scroll and who they did not call they forgot.  Suddenly it became "Fazeer who?" as the nation wondered if their phone was tapped and we all looked at eachother cross ways.

Misinterpretation.  When in doubt, allow an intelligent populace to believe that they did not hear what they think they heard.  Let them know that it is either that the newspaper reporter misunderstood what was said or the voting population misinterpreted what was printed.  Indeed, this was also one of the better feats of mental strength displayed, whose foundation was nourished by another brilliant tool: the apology that was not really an apology.  I admit,  this particular tactic left a bitter taste in my mouth.  Standing up and saying to grown people that you do not think you have anything to apologise for however if they are of that opinion then yes indeed, you apologise.  Tacky to say the least.  Even worse, saying there is nothing to apologise for, we are not wrong, stop making such a fuss...Move On.

We listened as a Chief Justice was besmirched...fake apology.  We listened as the Caribbean learned that T&T is not an ATM...no apology.  We listened as ministers insinuated that obscene language never occurred at an international event...no apology.  We listened to a fictitious resume being read out...no apology and worse...no explanation.

I could go on and on but the thing is, this could probably be said about all the previous administrations.  What is alarming is the short span of time with which everything about this administration spiraled out of control and began circling the drain.  We have not even made a year under this haphazard form of governance.  What was voted for and what was received are completely different.  Many are asking if they gave up one dictator in exchange for another or is this an even more heinous form of dictatorship, one which this country has never seen.  One which was cleverly disguised in the appearance of a beautiful package.

What have we really gotten out of this bad marriage, this poorly made union?

I made the comment before the election that a group quickly strewn together on the foundation of "Manning Must Go"  could not have much merit and should not be taken seriously.  Unfortunately, this band of misfits came to us at a time when the country was begging for something new, crying out for a real change and these wolves hastily threw on their sheep wool and waited for an entire country to take the bait.

We now look on helplessly as each of them sheds the wool to show us what lies beneath.  Almost a year into this thing and they are still blaming the previous administration and to what end? They promised to deliver.  Much was spoken of the crime plan which I now believe is a unicorn.  Much was said of bringing betterment and rebuilding a down trodden Trinbago.  What has been done?  We have hired a foreigner to fix our crime situation.  What has he done other than draw a ridiculous salary come each month end?  Where is the crime plan? Where are the public consultations?  Is this change or exchange?  We have agreed to pay a commissioner an exorbitant salary to get crime under control...to no avail and yet we cannot give the police or the PSA a proper offer.

One would have thought that a government comprising almost all aspects of society would have been people oriented.  One would think that they would seek the interest of the citizenry.  Let me say this, calling yourself People's Partnership and renaming a ministry 'Ministry of The People' does not make you people oriented.  Leave off the fancy names and start working for the people who gave you their vote.

You stood on a platform promising to "Serve the people, Serve the people, Serve the people" but this does not seem to be the case.

Your claim was that a vote against you would lead to the streets being red with blood, listen, that is not ketchup running out there.

You promised to "Axe the Tax" not bring it back under another name with higher rates.

You promised to be selfless, impartial and fair.  Why is there an air of nepotism and cronyism reeking across the land.

Saying that other administrations did it is not an excuse, you promised to be different, you promised to provide change.

Those who went out on that fateful day and voted for change humbly and sincerely would like a refund.

Rum, Water & Some Bitterness

Much has been said for and against Cro Cro's rendition which was delivered on Calypso Fiesta Saturday.  Many have bashed the words used in his rendition.  Having listened to this song a few times, I cannot help but agree that it is crude in its formation and indeed bitter upon delivery.  I however am able to look at this without dispensing the baby with the bathwater. 

The calypsonian's sentiment, while not popular, expresses a view that has crossed many a Trini mind since May 24th.  While I by no means subscribe to the view that we should vote based on our race, I believe that one of the sentiments holds very true and this is that Africans as a people are much quicker to throw away our own and raise up what is foreign to us.

Many lines of the calypso rubbed me the wrong way because I hold to the opinion that if you can berate a rapper for calling a woman "bitch" in his song, then the same must be done for someone who calls a woman a slut.  No woman regardless of her standing in society deserves that form of disrespect, further more to call one such based solely on the fact that she stood on a platform against a seemingly "African" party is unfounded and nonsensical.  I believe the writer allowed his venom for the outcome of May 24th colour his social commentary.  His attempt while noble may have alienated those of other ethnicities from viewing the true nature of what he attempted to do.

That being said, I believe he went the cruder route in order to bring his point across to a people who he believed could not or would not hear him otherwise.

His bitterness however has marred the beauty of the artform.  His rendition fell neither under picong nor social commentary.  What it became was an assault on the senses and essentially an abuse of a long treasured way of delivering the spoken word in this nation.

Him I can understand.

On another front, another calypsonian  alludes to the fact that he recommended the 2 million dollar prize money for artistes and as such should be allowed into the finals of a competition  regardless of the quality of his calypso.  He proceeds to undermine the integrity of the judges because he was not chosen.  Now,  having also listened to his composition, I have to ask how he even made it as far as he did and then to further imply that he is supposed to get into the finals (based on what I do not know) and then win the entire competition by extension,  is degradation in another form.  Take a look at some of his words:

"I am the one who advocated that $2 million and they leave me out. How they want me to survive? I have no more money to make. On Carnival Sunday night, the PNM has prevailed."  

It makes implications that allegiance to a particular party or to the government of the day affords you certain luxuries.  This allusion to nepotism and cronyism is appalling and brings more disrepute to the artform dare I say than the bitterness of the first calypsonian.  I maintain that his rendition was lacking form and substance and was unworthy of even being in the semi-finals.

Someone will need to school me on the finer attributes surrounding the rendition which won 'chutney soca star' Rikki Jai two million dollars.  'White Oak and Water', really?  Now I must admit that upon hearing the name, I thought to myself this must be a twist on something that I may not have understood so I listened to the song.  How on God's green earth can a man walk away with 2 Million dollars for a rendition in which he says all he has is White Oak and Water to pass off as a dowry?

Did I miss something?  This man sang an entire song about being so poor that his only offering is rum and water (even more ridiculous considering the cost of alcohol in this country).  Is this the standards we have come to in this nation?  I won't even touch the aspect of a father thinking his daughter is worth a bottle of rum and a bottle of water, I won't touch the idea that is being pushed there and i will not touch respect for women either which is an aspect of both compositions that I find insulting.

To the judges that awarded 2 Million dollars to that man, I can only wonder what they were thinking.  It almost felt as though they robbed the entire nation at gunpoint.


These renditions lead me to think that the artform is in jeopardy and I wonder if this is what comes out in 2011 then what is left? Make no mistake, if we are able to deliver a hefty 2 million dollars for what can only be described as tripe, rubbish and gobar of the foulest nature, then what on earth is left for the future?

Ponder on that...