My first encounter with Sisyphos came in Sixth Form Latin class at QRC when I was in my mid-teens. And a decade or so later, I was halfway between 18 and 28 in 20th Century French Literature class at UWI when I was introduced to the Camusian version of the …
Read More »Claude’s Comments: Homage to Winnie Mandela, the greatest 20th Century African heroine
Arguably, Nomzamo Winnie Madikizela-Mandela was the greatest 20th Century African heroine of the combined struggle for the emancipation of humanity from white supremacism and the liberation of woman from patriarchal oppression. Accordingly, it is difficult to imagine a greater outpouring of tributes to any other contemporary female freedom fighter. Nevertheless, …
Read More »Attorney, Dr Crowne, joins MATT’s Cybercrime Bill steering committee
“The Steering Committee appointed by MATT to address the Cybercrime Bill 2017 is satisfied that [Dr Emir] Crowne’s legal opinions and recommendations seek to correct the concerns raised by the association about the controversial legislation. “In this regard the Steering Committee is comfortable working with Crowne to ensure that the …
Read More »‘Inexcusable delay;’ Judge says no to FoIA information for fired Rambarran
“Mr Rambarran was found by the Court to be guilty of NON-DISCLOSURE in filing his claim. In his media release of December 26th, 2015, he failed to disclose that he had been invited to meetings with the Minister of Finance prior to the revocation of his appointment. Additionally, in his …
Read More »Dear Editor: Counterfeit goods are a threat to the economy and can kill
“The argument that counterfeit goods do no harm is immediately silenced when matters of life and death are quite literally in issue. Imagine being prescribed a certain pill at a certain dosage to treat your condition. “Invariably, a counterfeit pharmaceutical will lack the essential compounds necessary to treat your condition. …
Read More »Dear Editor: How sloppy policing contributes to violent domestic deaths
“This friend has a protection order against her brother, whose behaviour is becoming increasingly unpredictable. She told me that she had been to the police station to report yet another round of threats from him and informed—or reminded—the police of the protection order. “The officer in charge of the station …
Read More »Daaga make we do it! Black Power stories of the Q and the 1970 Coup
“Power alone,” the poet Syl Lowhar wrote in Tapia’s “Black Power in Human Song” special somewhere in the 1970’s, “will never make us strong. The heart must also sing the human song.” Almost half a century after Geddes Granger’s NJAC empowered Black people in Trinidad and Tobago, the politically most …
Read More »AG’s Cambridge Analytica probe is “misuse of power;” UNC insists TTPS and not JSC should investigate
“We support an investigation by the Commissioner of Police, the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Integrity Commission, who are the appropriate persons to conduct investigations into allegations of breaches of the law. They are charged with the legal authority and responsibility for conducting fair and transparent investigations that can …
Read More »MATT offers LGBTQI “sensitivity” training for journalists, declines to “point fingers”
“Rather than point fingers at media houses or individuals, MATT has taken the decision to focus on increasing sensitivity and awareness in coverage of LGBT issues in the media.” The following media statement on LGBTQI sensitivity training for journalists was issued by the Media Association of Trinidad and Tobago (MATT): …
Read More »Not Condemning: Legislation alone will not stop sexual predators in their tracks
It is not enough to promise, as the Government of Trinidad and Tobago (GoRTT) has just done, sexual harassment legislation; legislation alone will certainly not solve the problem and not simply because in Trinidad and Tobago the effective law is what you can get away with. Between now and when …
Read More »“[An] obzocky boulder in dirty water!” Dr Rampersad explains how Guardian got Ahye story wrong
The Guardian didn’t do a shitty thing; they did a shitty job. Fleeing from journalistic intelligence, skill and artfulness, they saw the kernel of a legitimate news story, wrapped it in cultural conformity and late afternoon testosterone, then dropped that obzocky boulder into dirty water. The splatter soiled; the shame …
Read More »Media Monitor: Go brave, Guardian Media; just keep right on maccoing Michelle-Lee
As a once respected media house, the Guardian may well believe maccoing to be its thing. But as a former journalism lecturer, I am very sure it isn’t mine. I am not, therefore, in the least interested in knowing who Michelle-Lee Ahye’s partner is. Or his or her sex. Or his or her gender. …
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