They could pretend now they didn’t, but, back then, they said it loud and clear. It proved pivotal in transferring their slide to the better contestant waiting in the wings.
Worse, it turned the naturally-occurring “current” between two communities into a fetid gulf. As the crow flies, Galera to Columbus Pt. is 22 miles; since January 21st 2013, it seems like 2,200.
For these things, it won’t go away, until the mindset that pushed it is consigned to hell.
I speak of bigotry. It is still on the loose –in the form of the drone of corrosive launched under the approving eyes of Rowley and London, in their recent, desperate lurch to redeem themselves through retaining control of the Tobago House of Assembly.
If it isn’t clipped quickly, its rancid payload will continue to putrefy the waters between Trinidad and Tobago, to the point where they become a vicious Kick Am Jenny –a treacherous cauldron, to be traversed only by the hot-headed.
To avoid this, I invite the leaders of all political parties and civil organizations to assemble and craft a charter for banishing bigotry…call it a new Constitution, if you wish. Time is of the essence –I don’t wish to sound alarmist, but, the very continuance of our nation is at stake here, in case, distracted by Carnival, none of you have noticed.
A great way to start such an assembly would be by absorbing Barack Hussein Obama’s “A More Perfect Union” speech…he wasn’t yet President –he was still trying to win the DNC nomination– yet, he had the rapt attention of the entire free world as he spoke, such was its magnificence.
Candidate Obama decisively dealt with the bogey of racial bigotry which had threatened to derail his campaign (thanks to some outlandish utterances of his pastor, Reverend Jeremiah Wright). Obama minced no words:
“…(The) remarks that have caused this recent firestorm weren't simply controversial. They weren't simply a religious leader's efforts to speak out against perceived injustice. Instead, they expressed a profoundly distorted view of this country –a view that sees…racism as endemic, and that elevates what is wrong with America above all that we know is right with America...
“As such, Reverend Wright's comments were not only wrong, but divisive–divisive at a time when we need unity, racially-charged at a time when we need to come together to solve a set of monumental problems…”
In our Trinbagonian context, our monumental problems are of the PNM’s doing. Oddly enough, in the THA election the PNM portrayed itself as Tobago’s “Knight in Shining Armour” –by displaying a shield marked “Stand In Defence Of Tobago” and identifying people from Calcutta as the gathering stormers. In other words, PNM again thumbed its nose at the majority of Trinbagonians.
To begin the healing process before our leaders meet, I therefore call on His Excellency the President –not Obama, Maxwell Richards– to revoke immediately the appointment of Hilton Sandy as Secretary for Infrastructure and Public Utilities. If London and or Rowley protest, then “buss both ah dem throat” too, so Penny and Delmon could attend the Constitution Conference in their places.
And may God bless our nation!© Richard Wm. Thomas,
kid5rivers.com
5 Rivers, Arouca,
Trinidad and Tobago.
For these things, it won’t go away, until the mindset that pushed it is consigned to hell.
I speak of bigotry. It is still on the loose –in the form of the drone of corrosive launched under the approving eyes of Rowley and London, in their recent, desperate lurch to redeem themselves through retaining control of the Tobago House of Assembly.
If it isn’t clipped quickly, its rancid payload will continue to putrefy the waters between Trinidad and Tobago, to the point where they become a vicious Kick Am Jenny –a treacherous cauldron, to be traversed only by the hot-headed.
To avoid this, I invite the leaders of all political parties and civil organizations to assemble and craft a charter for banishing bigotry…call it a new Constitution, if you wish. Time is of the essence –I don’t wish to sound alarmist, but, the very continuance of our nation is at stake here, in case, distracted by Carnival, none of you have noticed.
A great way to start such an assembly would be by absorbing Barack Hussein Obama’s “A More Perfect Union” speech…he wasn’t yet President –he was still trying to win the DNC nomination– yet, he had the rapt attention of the entire free world as he spoke, such was its magnificence.
Candidate Obama decisively dealt with the bogey of racial bigotry which had threatened to derail his campaign (thanks to some outlandish utterances of his pastor, Reverend Jeremiah Wright). Obama minced no words:
“…(The) remarks that have caused this recent firestorm weren't simply controversial. They weren't simply a religious leader's efforts to speak out against perceived injustice. Instead, they expressed a profoundly distorted view of this country –a view that sees…racism as endemic, and that elevates what is wrong with America above all that we know is right with America...
“As such, Reverend Wright's comments were not only wrong, but divisive–divisive at a time when we need unity, racially-charged at a time when we need to come together to solve a set of monumental problems…”
In our Trinbagonian context, our monumental problems are of the PNM’s doing. Oddly enough, in the THA election the PNM portrayed itself as Tobago’s “Knight in Shining Armour” –by displaying a shield marked “Stand In Defence Of Tobago” and identifying people from Calcutta as the gathering stormers. In other words, PNM again thumbed its nose at the majority of Trinbagonians.
To begin the healing process before our leaders meet, I therefore call on His Excellency the President –not Obama, Maxwell Richards– to revoke immediately the appointment of Hilton Sandy as Secretary for Infrastructure and Public Utilities. If London and or Rowley protest, then “buss both ah dem throat” too, so Penny and Delmon could attend the Constitution Conference in their places.
And may God bless our nation!© Richard Wm. Thomas,
kid5rivers.com
5 Rivers, Arouca,
Trinidad and Tobago.
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