“The womb is the home of beginnings.” Leroy Clarke, 2019 What kind of beginnings did 3,777 of our citizens experience between 2014 and 2018? 3,777 young women had children for whom they were neither psychologically nor financially prepared to nurture. 3,777 people have been born of trauma in a society which …
Read More »Demming: Dr Rowley’s Carenage interview suggests gun violence trauma at epidemic level
An interview with Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and his constituents seemed to aggravate a deep wound in that area. What I saw and heard was a man from within the constituency reliving the pain of the shooting death of his mother WPC Bernadette James and asking for some assurance …
Read More »Demming: Zessers Come in all forms, AG; not just with gold chains!
Take away the gold chain and the ‘Zesser’ descriptor fits several other people in Trinidad and Tobago. Some of them drive Porsche Cayenne, Mercedes Benz, Range Rover, BMW and other high-end cars. Some of them live in specially outfitted high-rise apartments; they pay for tables where their friends lime or …
Read More »Dear Editor: Asinine Thinking by Udecott left 200 motorists stranded in POS Parkade
“It is asinine thinking to hold 200 motorists hostage in a car park because there is a glitch in your system. This is exactly what happened on Monday April 15 at the Parkade in Port of Spain. “[…] This unfortunate situation comes on the heels of the Piarco incident which …
Read More »Demming: Reflecting on the rape of a peninsula; Rowley must protect Chaguaramas’ beauty
My first visit to the seaside was Carenage; and in particular, Williams Bay. We travelled by bus and eventually I would ‘borrow’ my father’s Raleigh bicycle—put the seat to its lowest position and ride there. I remember that Pier 1 was not even a thing. Today, its building is imposing …
Read More »Demming: Rend your hearts and not thy garments! Legal Affairs should loosen dress code
Recently I witnessed an act of discrimination at the Ministry of Legal Affairs. Two people were not allowed to enter the building because of their dress. One was wearing mid-calf jeans and the other had jeans with horizontal tears. In my own case I was only allowed in because I …
Read More »Demming: T&T women need sexual harassment legislation not policy! #Metoo passed us by
In 2017, Barbados passed legislation which will provide for the protection of employees in both the public sector and private sector from sexual harassment in the workplace. The Bill further provides a framework for the reporting of sexual harassment cases by employees and a method of resolving such cases. In …
Read More »Dear Editor: Where is good governance when NCC chairman, ‘Gypsy’, appears in Extempo final?
I raised one brow when Colin Lucas moved from being Chairman of the National Carnival Commission to becoming the Acting Chief Executive Officer. But my both eyebrows raised when he was succeeded by former UNC Minister of Culture Winston “Gypsy” Peters. Seamlessly moving from director to executive is not a …
Read More »Walkable Panorama City; POS Mayor and Works Minister have great opportunity for Panorama
There is a kind of positive energy associated with Carnival and particularly with the steelband movement. Players survive on less sleep and exhibit discipline and high levels of productivity in order to learn their Panorama tune. This is something we need to understand about Carnival, pan and panyards and their …
Read More »Demming: Hinds’ bullying behaviour on I95.5 further displays govt’s communication problems
One year ago, on 26 January 2018, Minister Stuart Young called into a radio programme hosted by former Senator Mariano Browne and tried to read a prepared statement. Almost one year later on 24 January 2019, his colleague Minister Fitzgerald Hinds physically storms the radio programme co-hosted by former Minister …
Read More »A home for Despers; Demming cries for Laventille’s iconic but homeless steelpan side
A photograph by Maria Nunes stirred emotions in me that I thought I had quelled. I cry for Laventille when I remember the beauty of the people and the ambition and the sense of striving I grew up with. The callous may say, “Nostalgia!” But it was real. The memories …
Read More »Minding our business; Demming criticises name and tone of Dr Rowley’s address
‘Mind your business’ is the theme of the recent address to the nation by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley in his 40th month as our leader. It was unfortunate in its naming, content and style. The fact that it is now popularly referred to as the Prime Minister’s ‘power point …
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