Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Shall I attend on the event of....

I drove past Sion Hill this morning and I saw a temporary stage with significant sound equipment being set up and I realised that it had to be part of the campaign on the Constitutional Bill.

I longed to make plans to return this evening...but it is now 10:31 p.m. according to the clock on my laptop and I have not budged from the couch. Frankly, I do not know exactly why.

There is a barrage of thoughts running through my head...if I go would I be enlightened, entertained or completely turned off by what I fear would be a mere exercise in the political gym of our nation.

I cared not for the sweaty limbs of persons garbed in their colour of choice...nor for the voice of an overworked instructor, reciting the same lines over and over again...without ever saying why the jumping jacks, stretches and squats have purpose. Burn calories, tone muscles or just looking buffed and ripped for anyone who is available to pay even the slightest bit of attention.

I wonder how I will treat next year's general election campaign...dare I start the neutral dress code in order to 'safely' attend the marches, conventions and other mass gatherings...red, yellow and green were at least never my favourites....grey, black and white maybe the best choice...but then again I may sit on the couch or maybe the porch wall with the manifesto in hand and allow that to determine the way the ink blots the ballot.

BTW...I wonder how to get a ULP shirt with Dr. Gonsalves face on it for a friend of a friend in another island?

Saturday, September 26, 2009

An angry nation

We are a nation that is on the verge of social catastrophe...we are an angry nation.

There are too many incidents of violence among us and there seems to be no limitation or categorisation of the victims and the perpetrators(who are victims themselves.)

We have left the issues dear to our hearts and minds to the gossip hour with neighbours and co-workers. We fail to attempt to resolve issues in a reasonable manner and the theme song is "But they/he/she should know that is how I feel".

How can expect to develop stronger social skills and see personal growth if we assume that everyone is a mind reader...that somehow there is an ability to grasp the perspective of another when silence is the communication mechanism of the day.

There are people who are storing pent-up frustration, add to that national leadership bent on destruction and the absence of a sense of purpose. One little incident can cause us to lash out...spewing obscenties and verbal venom aimed at maiming those around us.

And maim we do...and those injured turn around to injure others. So our Assizes are chock full of murder charges, a local newspaper seeks to propogate commess in the name of journalism and we gleefully listen to the stories of persons wholly unknown to us and cackle at their demise - knowing in the back of our minds that the spin of the bottle shall select us eventually - but we temporarily fool ourselves into believing "that will never be me."

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Removal of the Privy Council

You want to know what I believe is the real reason why some intellectuals do not want the Privy Council to be removed and the CCJ finally installed as the final Court of Appeal for the Caribbean...

Attachment disorder...

Like when a child cannot let go of her/his mother's skirt tails...like a 40 year old man that bums at home with the ability to take care of himself but refusing to do so...or the woman who 'sacrifices' her freedom by taking care of her parents because she is afraid to stand on her own two feet in the world.

The old-boy's club of lawyers in the region do not want to release Mother England...despite the prejudices of race and culture that they faced during their law studies in the 1960's and 1970's. They love the chance to become Queen's Counsel and new suits from Saville Row and the chance to spout about socializing at the Inn dinners.

Because we apparently, in the Caribbean cannot cook good food, tailor fine suits and a paltry Senior Counsel title is insufficient to satisfy them. Not mention our ability to adjudicate upon matters...seemingly an impossibility if you listen to the pundits. Read today's article on bbccaribbean.com on the Privy Council - at least one of them wants us to set up shop down here.

Sir James asks how many law books have been written by Caribbean authors...Fiadjoe, Kodiliyne, Alexis, McIntosh, Antoine, clearly escaped his reading list. What about the various legal manuscripts and papers that are produced by Bar Associations throughout the region?

Is it to say that every legal issue has been tackled by Caribbean legal minds by way of thick volumes? No, but can we deny that we have been dealing with them for decades and are more attuned to the social, cultural and legal elements that exist within our Caribbean civilisation. It would seem that the inevitable outcome would be a homegrown judicial system.

Why do we question the ability of our learned legal minds to effectively give justice to our people...is it that we are indeed questioning ourselves?

Self-determination must occur at some time...or shall we flail in the shadows of the Privy Council until they remove themselves as our final Court of Appeal. Guess you never thought of that possibility?

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Yes, we must

Why the mandatory nature of the sign of the building formerly known as "Bottlers".

Ironic, that that building should be chosen as a promotional mechanism as attempts are being made to 'bottle' us into making a decision where too many of us are ignorant of the comprehensive ramifications of that 'choice'.

I question whether we are capable of making a choice...even my own personal ability. Do I seek to make my own mental calculations or do I body-surf on the opinions and views of others? I am constantly asking myself...what will I do on the 25th of November 2009?

And I fear that on the morning in question I may lay in my bed and ask that question...go to work contemplating whether to join the line in my polling district...maybe ponder the throbbing desire to execute my civic duty during lunch...and possibly return to my home still uncertain - never to see the ballot paper...never to play a role on an outcome that is too vital to our lives as Vincentians.

And who is to blame for this indecisiveness? A trait that is foreign to my nature, a bitter element that seems to override my usual knowledge of what I want in life.

I blame myself for not undertaking to educate myself on the issues at hand and sharing that knowledge with others...not with the aim of conforming their thoughts but offering insight so that they too may cultivate an understanding to counter the ignorance.

I blame my leaders, both in Government and Opposition who seek to satisfy their internal gnawing desire for national dominance and superiority over each other by misinforming the public and failing to offer a balanced education.

I blame the people of the nation of SVG...who sit idly by; fascinatingly watching our leaders wreck our country...our only participation being the play-by-play commentary of the goings-on.

We have failed ourselves...yet we are blind to the self-destructive path that we are slowly rolling upon - do you think we will notice when the speed picks up towards a catastrophic series of unfortunate incidents that may rent our nation into pieces...pieces that may be found and restored to former glory or lost forever?

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

The need to deceive

There is a seeming need to deceive that is consuming our national leaders.

Why was there a paid advertisement in one of our local newspapers this past Friday...to be exact page 23 of the Searchlight Newspaper...which sought to summarise the "no" and "yes" questions.
I say they sought but really the intention was to misinform, misdirect, and misrepresent the true content of the Constitution.

They sought to appeal to the emotive element of our human nature...a base reaction and nothing else. Number 3 on that list would like to suggest that same sex marriages would be allowed if the Constitution Bill 2000 does not survive the November 25th vote.

That is blatantly misleading the Vincentian people...who the politicians are aware have a limited scope of understanding and education. The knowledge that is required to fully comprehend the full weight of the Constitutional provisions is not had by the average Vincentian. But does that demand that our leaders fool us...or at least attempt to. Clawing onto the cloying homophobia that is a "majority"perspective.

Same sex marriages were never allowed in SVG and will not exist whether or not the Bill goes through. Stop lying to us....stop ruining our faith and trust in your leadership competence.

Do you not realise that you are our representatives and when you lower the quality of leadership, you sink us, the masses, into a mire of confusion?

Monday, September 21, 2009

The failure of a people

It is unbelievable but it has happened again...the people of SVG have been failed by our so-called leaders.

The NDP has decided not to participate in the round-table discussion on the Constitution Bill 2009 being hosted as I type this note. My disappointment can be contained, which is sad because it seems as I have adopted an apathetic perspective to the chances of a positive discussion among our leaders.

Even if they have decided not to acknowledge the position of Mr. P.R. Campbell, QC as Chairman of the CRSC and a member of the "Yes" vote committee - at least they could have risen above the petty nature of that issue to take advantage of the amazing opportunity to be a part of the discourse. It would have enabled them to communicate their perspectives on the Constitution Bill to an audience within and beyond our geographical borders and into the diaspora.

Rather, they insist on wallowing in their pathetic claims of "not recognizing the invitation of the Chairman of the CRSC" - NDP YOU HAVE FAILED SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES. But can we expect anything different, can anyone recall the ridiculous reasons why they refused to nominate someone to the Drafting Committee?
They insist on maintaining a partisan environment - a rift between the colours...well done in your attempt to fail the people...because surely the NDP has not acted for the betterment of the nation, their party....indeed, they have failed themselves.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Postpone the 25th November 2009...to what result?

The voices call for:
(1) a yes vote; or
(2) a no vote; or
(3) a postponing of the vote on a whole to enable balance education on the Constitution

But what will any of those options bring us?

A yes vote will give a document that reigns supreme but dissent seems as if it would fester among the masses...shall anarchy rain upon us as a result? And what if that yes vote is obtained...what will the NDP do if they were to succeed in the next general elections? Ignore the issues that they labassed while in opposition..the same way the ULP ignored the traffic lights upon succeeding at the polls in 2001.

A no vote will be an inevitable dismissal of the positives for the sake of what? Satisfaction of ignorance or a determination to effect all the changes that certain people wish?

A postponement will bring what....I dare suggest it will be a mere delay of the the results of 25th November 2009. Because there is no one entity or organisation that seeks to offer a balanced education. Like teaching the Creation theory and disregarding the Evolution concept in the name of doing what is supposedly right?

We started out wrong with the education on the Constitution...which means our foundation is faulty and shall remain so unless a revolution of the minds takes place. Then our columns are shaky and our walls are unstructurally sound and our roof is made of thatch in the midst of hurricane weather.

Friday, September 18, 2009

Loved the cartoon depiction in the Searchlight newspaper this week...the concept of the demand to enter into a zone was artfully portrayed.

I especially loved the fact that SVG was identified as a baby...a creature that has just entered into existence..with leaders that we hope to be mature, wise and national-minded enough to guide us along this path.

It also reminded me of the story in Solomon where the mothers fought over a child and the threat to cut the child in half evoked the true mother...who was willing to relinquish her desire to raise a child in order to preserve the life of the child.

So, to the Red and Yellow....what state of anarchy do we have to arrive at as a nation to arouse the true passion of the mother...

Dare I wonder if such feelings can ever come to fuition?

Thursday, September 17, 2009

In the beginning

This is a means of communication...a vibration...a time to speak, express, scream...a means to just be. Sometimes, maybe to be silent (which is a underestimated quality, by the way).

Just be myself and voice my views on my country and listen to others. Beautiful Saint Vincent and the Grenadines...how much I love this nation.

Because, I, like so many unrecognized masses, remain on the fringes...observing. We have yet to cross into a zone of red, yellow or green.

Maybe like me, you feel as if there is NO DAMN NEED to cross into a zone of colour and cannot understand for the life of me why we should have to.

So, who am I?
I am green, gold and blue.
What do I want? I am on a quest for knowledge, the ability to make informed decisions in this journey called life...I seek a constant state of EPIPHANY.