As the courts came to a decision on whether to revoke the buggery law in Trinidad and Tobago, I was observing the goings-on in our beautiful two-island republic with great trepidation. And excitement. And as I also observe what is happening on the international front, I have reason to believe …
Read More »Master’s Voice: For Blacks, women and the colonised, sin is a sexually transmitted disease
We’re all probably familiar with the stereotype trope of the hypersexual (and if male, predatory) African. Most of us have heard about—and many struggle to disavow—that racist image of African people that seems to figure most prominently in the ways they see us. Even on many porn sites (yes, I …
Read More »Living Law: Should Moreau have sued Minister Smith instead of Smith’s Ministry?
Carrie-Ann Moreau, who claimed to have been sexually harassed by Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Darryl Smith, did not sue Smith but sued the State (the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs and the Chief Personnel Officer) for TT$234,360. Similarly, Bernadette Sammy, who claimed to have been sexually harassed …
Read More »False PLOTT! President Weekes slams misinformation on her perceived role in Smith sacking
“Her Excellency is greatly distressed and dismayed by this fabrication, particularly in light of her reminder to citizens and the media in her Inauguration Address of their duty to report responsibly, which includes avoiding disseminating misinformation.” The following release from the Office of the President comes in response to a …
Read More »Dear Editor: Secrets, Smith, and State resources; why D/Martin Central MP’s belated defence is shameless
“Yet now, after he is fired and humiliated, he can’t wait to talk to a non-legal, non-binding committee, who he is confident will vindicate him? “Let us be clear: no committee can vindicate Smith at this stage. That opportunity has already been forfeited and he should be ashamed for trying …
Read More »Media Monitor: Boldon’s broadside, Ahye’s comeback and other notable sporting quotes
Sporting history is replete with examples of if not famous last words, at least famous statements, good, bad and ugly, by famous sportsmen, for the most part good. Of recent vintage are two by former Olympian Ato Boldon which provoked a third from newly minted Commonwealth Games 100m gold medallist, …
Read More »Black identity (Pt 8): The redemption of blackness through the rubric of Black Power
The Black Power movement of the 1960’s and ‘70’s was not spawned by a spontaneous determination to destroy white supremacism and undo the psychological damage of European enslavement, colonialism and Jim Crowism. Rather, it was a much longer and more complex historical process, a process which this column is dedicated to …
Read More »Daly Bread: Doh look dong or behind; T&T politicians at sea
I am using the vernacular “doh look dong” instead of “do not look down” in order to keep real the dangerous nature of the predicament of the passengers transferred at sea from the water taxi Trini Flash to the larger vessel, Cabo Star. As readers will recall the Trini Flash …
Read More »Monitoring Me 2: Sport as nirvana; Football’s Lord, Cricket’s Prince and the Calypso King of the World
Happiness, for this West Indian cricket lover, is an 80″television set. Or larger. With Lara, Brian Charles Lara—no longer “live” but in living colour—in full flow. Nirvana? In the terms of Edward Fitzgerald’s “Omar Khayyam:” A stack of Tapia/Review, complete somehow; More, Sparrow, More; Beyond a Boundary and thou before …
Read More »Living Law (Pt 2): The rule of law and the ordinary citizen; professor shares guiding principles
The rule of law is an abstract concept but that does not mean it is difficult to understand. Here goes: Let us suppose the government passed a law to empower the police to come into your house and take all your money away and freeze all your bank accounts? How …
Read More »Not Condemning: Whoops, whaps, clap, clap, clap, Tobago Jazz management by voops and vaps
Last week, on 20 March to be precise, the chairman of the Tobago Festivals Commission, which is responsible for organising the Tobago Jazz Experience 2018 (TJE) made the announcement of the headline acts. That gives patrons less than six weeks’ notice that international artistes Ne-Yo, Tarrus Riley and Anthony Hamilton …
Read More »Media Monitor: Oh mih Guardian! The Grandma of St Vincent St under an editorial spell?
As the Guardian last week marched into April, something seemed to have been taking place behind the scenes. My suspicion is that, with Shelly Dass now officially fired, someone from the CCN group who knows English has crossed the floor and taken up new responsibilities in the print section of …
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