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THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, MAY 10, 2013. 9.
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Carnival Launch – Time to re-think I AM ONE of those Carnival lovers – not the crazy jump and get on bad type of carnival lover – but one who enjoys the real culture. I love the mas, pan and calypso, but I tolerate this beauty show business, only because I accept that it is part of what makes up the entire society. We just love a queen show; even if is to see which one of the girls is going to make a fool of herself. I have attended every Launch of Vincy Mas since the CDC introduced it. I‘m talking about the activities at the car park, not that craziness about jumping from
the Windward and Leeward. That reminds me of the days when men like Larwood used to run the cattle into Kingstown. That jumping and getting drunk could never pass in my book as anything I would want to sell to my friends overseas. But back to the Launch. This year’s launch was just too long and drawn out. It seems that the CDC was putting the programme together as they went along. Once the big boys’ speeches were over and the Miss SVG girls paraded, it seems that anything else could follow. The programme kept
changing and changing to suit whom I don’t know. And imagine, knowing full well from past experience that most of the masqueraders would have been children, the CDC had those children at the car park since after 6:00 pm and didn’t bring them on until minutes to ten! And the pan segment? Why after a round of ex-tempo that the people didn’t expect? The pan segment was an apology… it acted like an intermission. And when I thought, how nice that the masqueraders were going to jump to pan music, there was the MC saying that the masqueraders would have
to come back on since they didn’t have the right music… music from the DJ. Talk about teaching people to respect the culture! And the ex-tempo: Either we get some serious exponents or we just leave it out. Extempo supposed to be biting, but no one seems to be telling the same old competitors that. Blakie didn’t even touch the topic — and where did these ‘serious’ topics come from — but he was through to the finals, and on to victory. I must be getting old, but none of those ex-tempo fellas touched my funny bone. Congrats to IPA, Tamisha
and the ever-trying Icon. There was some indication that there could be some worthwhile contributions in calypso, raga soca and soca for 2013. But I must repeat: the Launch was just too long for my liking. Time to do some re-thinking, CDC!! Anyone else notice that it seems to have more bars than persons with money to spend? I wonder if any of them made a profit. ‘Carnival Lover’
Duprey CDW on Child Abuse must answer Awareness Month YOU KNOW, Mr. Editor, I am not one of those learned gentlemen whom the Prime Minister likes to have around him. I have no university degree, so I might just be considered one of those uneducated ‘you know what’. But I still think I have a little common sense, so that when I read about the big man from CLICO, Mr. Lawrence Duprey, not being made to answer to an Inquiry into the crash of CLICO, in which persons from across the region had money, I wonder about the fairness of the law. Standford was made to pay for his sins; other persons also; but right here in our own Caribbean, our biggest crooks seem to go scotch free. Is it because they are protected by our governments, our politicians? Time we pass a law, making it a must that political parties declare where they get their campaign money from. * What about that Then we will know to $50,000.00 that was whom a party owes bandied about as the favours, even as they first prize for Band mouth off about how of the Year in this much they want to year’s carnival? Is protect the interest of that now a ‘no no’? the poor and working * Didn’t Jomo know before he class. accepted to be a You see, Mr. Editor, member of the as much as I commend National Heroes the government of Committee, that the Trinidad and Tobago and PM was pushing for our own government for Cato to be named a making sure some National Hero? * Is there a war investors in CLICO get brewing between back something, I still beer suppliers over think there should be no rights in the effort spared to make Carnival? Is there a Mr. Duprey answer for move to have a new his misuse of people’s official Beer of the money. Carnival? If people like Duprey * What percentage of can escape the law, what VINLEC customers are we supposed to were able to pay think? their full bills for last month? A CLICO customer
As Child Abuse Awareness Month, April 2013, was about to conclude, Child Month May 2013 was ushered in with one of the most grievous forms of abuse to Children- the murder of their mother. The Committee for the Development of Women (CDW) expresses deep sorrow and protest against these continuing violent crimes against women and children, perpetrated by those who should be protecting them. It is a cause for great concern that in these cases, it is the home that continues to be the “hot bed” of crime. Here, the woman is regarded as property, with no power of her own; and girls, even those with disabilities, are victims of sexual assault, including incest. They are powerless to speak out because of dependency on the perpetrator for food, clothing and shelter. When they gain a level of independence to break the silence, their inability to hire lawyers renders them weak to present their case, and the perpetrators walk free.
One radio commentator lamented the failure of the society to deal with such heinous crimes, and wondered when will it stop, and why the Death Penalty is not enforced. One answer to these questions is that at all levels, the victims must be considered. Too often, their stories are dismissed as lies. It appears, to many victims of Domestic Violence, that the law is on the side of the perpetrator, who then becomes an incentive to others to do likewise. The result is that many victims moulder in the grave or walk wounded. Nelcia Robinson Coordinator CDW
“I would unite with Anybody to do Right and with Nobody to do wrong”Frederick Douglas.
Rastafarian movement I AGREE with you, Mr. Editor, when you wrote last week that ‘the heyday of the Rastafarian religion here in SVG may have come and gone.’ I recall my secondary school days of the 1970s when the influence of the Rasta was very strong. Some students, even though they were not allowed to locks their hair, became followers of the teachings. Many became vegetarians, read the bible, some smoke ganja, and even began to dress differently, more like Africans. Eventually, many of these chaps would grow their locks, and some of them are still Rasta today. However, it seemed to me that, once we got into the late 1990s, the Rasta influence
began to decline. Less and less people were becoming Rasta, even though there were many who adopted certain practices. Bob Marley and reggae music did have a great influence in spreading the faith, but once the conscious reggae was replaced by this dance hall business, there has been a slowdown in the number of youths joining the Rastafarian faith. One thing is certain. The Rasta teachings have influenced many changes in the lifestyle of Vincies… what we eat, how we cook, how we dress, how we understand the bible, how we speak and how we relate to one another. So big up to Rasta. It has had its positive vibes.
Frederick’s merry-goround
THE MERRY-GO-ROUND nature of the matter which Senator Vynette Frederick has to answer before the court is cause for concern. This has nothing to do with whether the Senator is guilty or innocent. That is for the court to decide. But this changing from one magisterial jurisdiction to another is something of a farce. First, it was Kingstown, then it was to be heard in Mesopotamia, only for the persons concerned to hear that it was relocated to Biabou. Then, lo and behold, last week, it was sent for hearing in Georgetown. Why all this moving around? It reminds me of a case many years ago where it seemed because certain police officers wanted to teach certain persons a lesson, their case was transferred on the very morning before it was to be heard in Calliaqua, for a hearing in Barrouallie. In the case of Senator Frederick, I wonder who is trying to teach whom a lesson? Cut the stalling and get down to business. Chalkie
Jones