By Dr. Kwame Nantambu
May 05, 2007
www.trinidadandtobagonews.com/blog
Now that the Danah Alleyne/Akon episode has been the “conversation piece” in TnT, it is vital for all concerned Trinbagonians to engage in retrospection rather than self-indulging pontification.
The fact of the matter is that the Club Zen fiasco only reflects/mirrors the sad tragedy/reality of the all-encompassing cloud of moral decadence that now hovers over TnT’s society.
The fact of the matter is that if one was to stand back and ponder for a minute, one would realize that both male and female patrons dance that very same ‘Club Zen way’ at “all-inclusives” and fetes during the Carnival season. What’s the problem, people?
The fact of the matter is that both male and female masqueraders of all ages dance that very same ‘Club Zen way’ on Carnival Monday and Tuesday as they perform for the ‘judges’ at the then Queen’s Park Savannah. What’s the problem, people?
The only apparent/obvious difference is that the two dancers at Club Zen had on more clothes than the Carnival masqueraders. What’s the problem, people?
TnT is in a state of moral denial. Why are Trinbagonians so surprised at what took place at Club Zen? This genre of behaviour only reflects the “free-up” attitude/ mentality of Trinbagonians. Trinis like it so, 24/7/365 – Carnival or Lent.
Of course, the obvious fall-out is that no adult attempted to rescue this teenager. She must be forgiven. She must not be burnt at the stake. She only acted or reacted as a true Trini in today’s decadent societal moral morass.
What took place at Club Zen was a moral crime that is too ghastly to contemplate but it must be examined and analyzed. The entire society stands accused as the prime accomplice in this moral indictment. Danah Alleyne’s blood runs through all Trinbagonians.
However, there is always something good in everything that’s bad.
One good thing that comes out of this tragedy is that society must now look within itself and engage in moral-conscience examination.
A fruit does not fall too far away from its tree. The behaviour of fifteen year-old Danah Alleyne is the fruit that this society has borne/created. This must be clearly understood by all Trinbagonians.
Moreover, one should not be too surprised that a school girl was involved in this moral madness/mayhem. Indeed, one can argue that the current status of immorality and pornography in the nation’s public schools made her do it. What’s the problem, people?
The second good thing that comes out of this moral dilemma is that all clubs owners in TnT must now adopt and rigorously enforce a new policy that states: “No ID; no entry. No exception.”
In this way, even if an older person bought the ticket for underage Danah Alleyne, then, her ID would have denied her entry into the club. This policy must be enforced without exception and regardless of the patron(s) who seek(s) entrance into any club.
The bottom-line is that although morality cannot be legislated, at least, it can and must be instituted in TnT.
The Club Zen incident must be looked at as a timely wake-up call for all Trinbagonians to answer in the positive. There is no need to engage in the blame-game and finger-pointing; those knee jerk reactions will only be counterproductive and self-destructive. We are all our brothers’ and sisters’ keeper at this moment of moral crisis and decadence.
Now is the time to re-examine the lewd/provocative, albeit pornographic-oriented lyrics in soca songs. It was this mind-set/atmosphere that erupted/exploded at Club Zen. Hence, the reason why all the patrons were in the ultimate happy, “free-up” mood. Ergo, the dance between Danah Alleyne and Akon was acceptable and “cool.”
This is the insane and scary level of morality in today’s society. The crucial question that comes to the fore is: How low can TnT’s societal-personal decency, morality and public responsibility go? – only time will tell.
In the final analysis, Trinbagonians may think that they are living in financial/economic heaven but the stark reality is that they are living in moral hell.
Shem Hotep (“I go in peace”).
Dr. Kwame Nantambu is a part-time lecturer at Cipriani College of Labour and Co-operative Studies and University of the West Indies.
http://www.trinicenter.com/kwame/2007/0505.htm
Trinidad and Tobago News Blog’s URL for this article:
www.trinidadandtobagonews.com/blog/?p=234
If a society spends next to zero time reflecting on who we are and where we are going morally,if a society throws money at its children instead of parenting; if a society imitates the worse aspects of other wealthier cultures and never listens to those who say we seem to have lost our way;then, we seem to end up with a society like the one we have now.The question then becomes how do we find our way back or forward to a new state of being?
Who has moral authority, without dogma? Which aldults can the youth look up to as mentors?
Moral decay is not an avalanche. It’s a creeping tide that swallows up the place while the guardians are busy with material things.
When you spare the rod, you spoil the child!
As we move to developed nation status, our society strives to imitate the rotten & twisted characteristics of the “Great Satan.” Cable TV is now readily available to most Trinidad and Tobago households, so one need not look hard to mimic the morally decadent aspects of US society. Also, in T&T we have adopted the idiotic US manner of thinking, where discipline through punishment in the schools or home is considered an atrocity. When will we realize, as one of the most developed nations in the Caribbean that if we lose the ability to discipline our youth early in their lives, we increase the chances of the authorities having to discipline them later on.
One day we will become wise to this fact, the sad question is when?
This article seems to reflect a Christian-type bias . Contrary to what he has tried to portray, there is nothing wrong with the so-called “ ‘free-up’ attitude/ mentality of Trinbagonians.” In fact, he does not show how this attitude or mentality is a “moral crime”.
The piece comes over like a Christian-founded, unreasonable position against sexual expressions that always fail to show any real wrong. How does this dancing negatively impact society? The truth is that it doesn’t. It is only because the Zen incident had several taboos: an African born Hip/hop star dancing with a young female; a light skinned female; a pastor’s daughter – is why the issue was blown out of proportion.
Many people, especially older people, are afraid of their sexuality and open displays of sexuality which may threaten them because they have not found the courage to deal with it. Thus, although they may bash these incidences, people still cannot show categorically how sexually suggestive dances are wrong.
My friends, discipline is not beating. Being firm with a child and slugging a child is not the same thing. I have written reams on this before, so I will not repeat myself. Suffice it to say that loving discipline begins early, and firmly guides the child where it should go. In didcipline, no is no, period. Positive phrases like “I like it when you are polite to others” can encourage a child early to be polite. “I need you to be quiet now. I want to listen to someone else.” Firmly spoken, these expectations can define what you want for the child.
It is bedtime, say 8.00 PM, and the child does not want to go to bed. Be firm. Your bedtime is your bedtime, whether you are sleepy or not. “You will become sleepy when once you are in bed with the lights out”.
Children’s exploratory behaviour is designed to challennge and test the resolve of adults. Do not let them win. Be firm, be fair, be reasonable, be consistent. Beating teaches the child to be violent. Years ago, Father Cooper, late of St. Jude’s Anglican Church, Arima, explained to his confirmation class that “Spare not the rod and spoil the child,” was an injunction to parents that a child needs to learn a skill. Among shepherding people, the rod or staff(“Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me”) was used to guide the sheep and rescue these fallen into crevasses.
I have not found one person who can cite for me, an instance in the Bible where one of the patriarchs or matriarchs hit their child with a stick. Slave socieies have misused that statement, because it suited their convenience.
Let us teach our children responsibility, caring, kindness, discipline and thinking first before action. Let us not teach them whacking, bashing, hitting, spanking, kicking, belting, caning and cuffing. These do not make for peace nor build up the common life. They engender violence as the child waits his turn to similarly treat his aged parent, his spouse and his own children.
I invite all parents embarking now on childraising, to try loving discipline instead of hitting. It workds. leadership by example is the best form of childrearing.
I have watched little children girate their little bodies on any given day, in accordance to the beat of the music, while their parents were standing by watching them in admiration. I also looked at the faces of the men standing by watching these little children and I thought to myself, that is the reason these men go and rape uncontronably. The rapist cannot stop raping, because it is up in their faces 24/7/365. Our thoughts are made up of the things we see and hear. “garbage in garbage out”.
I was once told by a GAY man who lives in Miami, that he loves to come to Trinindad for carnival, because the music is great for his activity. This same man has probably already raped several of your children and/or has already initiated them into homosexuality, and they are trying to get out of it, but can’t because GOD said their mind has become reprobate (confused). Many people are bringing aids and other forms of diseases to Trinidad and Tobago, because they love the music and lyrics that come out of these countries. It drives them to commit lewd acts unprobihited . They say they can “free up”.
NOW WHAT DO YOU THINK???????
Be quiet people, everyone wants to talk about moral. Everyone needs to look at themseleves before they start talking about before they talk about morality. Yes what Danah and Akon did wasn’t the ” moral” thing to do but ask what have you done that wasn’t moral each an every day of your lives when you wake up and before you go to sleep, like lie, cheat, steal, gossip and a bunch more that isn’t moral also to theses same people who are getting all moral on this dancing fiasco.Yes it was not done in good taste but I could have never left the house the way she was dressed at the age of 14 years in my parents house, is she working to buy thoses things,even if I had a sweater on somebody would be asking me why do you have that on. Then who bought the ticket. Then there’s no way on God’s green earth that I would be out pass Midnight and I live in the house with grown church fearing people (notice I didn’t say God fearing because these same people who making a uproar about this, have alot of fingers pointing at them but judging other people.)and not check on where’s my child especially when no ice-cream place stay open that late. Also we are so focus on this issue when the real issues of crime, lack of economic stability, government corruption, the police inability to control themselves and do their jobs in which they took an oath to uphold is pushed on back burner. We see this very same thing in and outside of clubs during the carnival season and we just laugh some of these same people who are talking and writing have seen much worse and just looked away or just laughed. Why now does it becomeit because an issue. Are we ashamed of our what our own culture has produced or just want something to talk about.