“[…] While I have no issues with our national emblems being reconsidered and redesigned, because that kind of thinking is long overdue, my quibble lies with how the decision was announced and arrived at—though not in that order. “[…] It also raises questions of oversight since it is usually the …
Read More »Dear Editor: T&T Coat of Arms should not be business of any one political party
“[…] It is my view therefore that a decision to alter the Coat of Arms should not have been made by the political directorate at its party convention taking into account the implications for such a change, which is not the responsibility of any political party, but a responsibility of …
Read More »Daly Bread: The chrome elephant—examining the business of pan
Pan Trinbago has been basking in a new dawn of support for pan in its birthplace. But for some of us there are still clouds hovering over the financing and sustainability of the steelpan, our national instrument. Political grandstanding will not dissipate those clouds. Primarily, we left a significant part …
Read More »Noble: Slavery, Finance and Us—the immoral legacy of the slave trade
“[…] What is this claim that human people have been thrown overboard? This is a case of chattels or goods. Blacks are goods and property; it is madness to accuse these well-serving, honourable men of murder. “They acted out of necessity and in the most appropriate manner for the cause. …
Read More »Dear Editor: Why not introduce community service instead of fines for speeding, etc?
“[…] Imagine a system where those who have received fines for minor offenses, such as traffic violations or littering, or who have been convicted of petty crimes, are given the opportunity to contribute positively to their communities through community service. “This initiative would not only alleviate the financial burden on …
Read More »Noble: Truth, HCU and Karen Nunez-Tesheira—the lady doth protest too much
“What is truth?” retorted Pilate at Jesus’ trial (Luke 18:36). The Greek word for truth is aletheia, which literally means unconcealed and implies sincerity and factuality couched in reality. Mrs Karen Nunez-Tesheira submitted that my column on campaign financing was based on innuendo. Nunez-Tesheira indicated I painted “Johnny O’Halloran, presumably …
Read More »Daly Bread: Biden goes, yet Persad-Bissessar stays—a teachable moment
Joseph Biden, president of the United States, and our former Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who became our country’s constitutionally appointed leader of the Opposition in 2015, have something in common. They have been assessed as electoral liabilities. Biden’s liability was more precisely revealed by the regular opinion polls published in …
Read More »Noble: African slavery and us—how maximum greed transforms poor into mere tools
“Questions of silence always raise questions of memory. Who and what has been forgotten? Which peoples and events are downplayed? “[…] Memory is a site of conflict, ‘in which many contrary forces converge and in which the interactions between memory and forgetting are contingent as much as they are systematic…” …
Read More »Dear Editor: Give FIU wider powers to help combat crime wave
“[…] What appears to have escaped the attention of many of our law-abiding citizens is the relationship between many violent crimes and the white-collar variety. “The foot soldiers and their gang leaders do not have the wherewithal to corrupt law-enforcement officials and, indeed, other key state officials and/or to import illegal drugs and illegal firearms. …
Read More »Noble: All ah we tief—money, conflicts and whose interests do elite serve?
“If you don’t have unity, we can’t fight. There are fresh people who call themselves leaders. You can’t be leading, and when it’s time to stand up for people, you don’t know how to stand up. “The authorities have to take crime-fighting seriously; otherwise, there would be more chaos and …
Read More »Daly Bread: Mettle and metal; an All Stars celebration
Trinidad All Stars Steel Orchestra (All Stars) unconditionally qualifies for recognition as an institution because it has consistently served broader societal functions beyond the performance of musical works on pan. These broader societal functions include cultural innovation and preservation, education and community development. Many other steel orchestras (commonly referred to …
Read More »Dear Editor: EBC should show more respect to D’Abadie and Arima South
“[…] We never got an explanation from the EBC as to why they insisted on re-naming Arima South [as, now, Malabar/ Mausica] and feel comfortable with this outrageous decision. “[…] Why not apply the same principle in other districts like: Diego Martin Central, Northeast and West, Laventille East and West, …
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