By Raffique Shah
September 04, 2010
IT’S still dark, wee hours this Sunday morning, the steady drizzle having no impact on the growing crowd that is gathering at Woodford Square. I am dressed in a Rasta wig, fake-Shabaaz beard, jacket sans tie, looking more like a vagrant than the men at the ticket booths at the two entrances to the Square. It’s going to be a good day for hangings. People are queuing, some jostling, others scalping, but all more than willing to pay the $100 entry fee to witness the country’s first public executions since the days of slavery.
A few weeks earlier, Finance Minister Winston Dookeran had announced that public hangings would be a revenue-raising measure that the People’s Partnership Government will implement in view of the deficit Budget he presented to Parliament. “Mr Speaker,” he addressed Wade Mark, “Government will stage public hangings every Sunday morning, and twice on public holidays. We have listened to the words of wisdom from the Hon Minister of Justice—hang them high, and in a public place. Cabinet duly considered this manna from heaven, and saw the possibility of raising an estimated $200 million a year.” Loud thumping of desks on both sides of the Chamber.
“Mr Speaker, should this measure yield the expected returns, we intend to raise the viewing fee to $200!” Deafening applause from the public gallery and thousands watching proceedings on big-screen TV in the Square. “Make it $500!” shouts an old geezer. “I’ll spend all my pension money to see dem criminals swing!” Dookeran continued, “Mr Speaker, the benefits of this measure cannot be underestimated. It would stimulate business in the city. Besides stores that will open all night before hanging days, vendors will serve corn soup, breakfasts, and sell miniature nooses, the latter manufactured right here, I should add.”
“All told, revenue earnings should top $1 billion in the first year,” he proudly proclaimed. And it came to pass a new law allowing for convicted murderers, and all those who oppose executions, be publicly executed. Which is why I am heavily disguised, hoping not one bloodthirsty Trini would recognise me. After all, while I have serious reservations about capital punishment, I do not plan to subject my short neck to a noose.
I spy Jack Warner, escorted by some FIFA-types, supervising ticket sales. Most ministers are seated on the bandstand from where they get a ringside view of the triple-gallows (three necks a pop, Minister Volney boasted in a media interview). Conspicuously missing from the stage is Minister Cadiz: word from the crowd is he has gone into hiding.
I see a special queue, deep inside the Square, facing AG Anand Ramlogan. Ah! They are being interviewed for the plum position of hangman. But wait, I know two of the fellas there…they are known criminals who, I am told, have some “ghosts” to their credit. Say what? They are citizens, and best of all they may get to hang some poor sods who are paying for their crimes. Only in Trinidad, I mutter under my breath (I have to be very careful), and maybe in Iran and Saudi Arabia.
The Square is full now. Jack motions to the ticket collectors to shut the gates. “Next time,” he stammers, “we will add big-screen TVs at the stadium! Clearly, Dookeran did not see this opportunity to earn extra revenue. The man knows nothing about making money!” Jack looks in my direction, but from the disgust reflected on his face, he must take me for the Rasta-vagrant I am trying hard to look like.
The public address system comes alive. Bob Marley’s ‘Redemption Song’ erupts from the huge speaker-boxes. PM Kamla has arrived. She is escorted to the bandstand, smiling all the way. The crowd reaches out to touch her. Her hat for the morning is in the shape of a noose. She goes directly to the mike and pronounces: “Let the hangings begin!” Rapturous applause explodes like fireworks, welcoming the sun as it peeks over the hills to the east of the city.
I peer past the crowd, look at the three nooses, and try to make out the convicted murderers who will make history. But wait…the first is an African woman! Who she? She walks proudly, baldhead upright, to the first noose. Oh Jeezanages! It’s Verna! “Nooooo!” I shout, in spite of my disguise. People look at me suspiciously. A little Indian fella follows, his hands securely bound behind his back. Sh**, I mutter: they got Kevin! Before I could explode in anger, a short, balding, whitish fella, smiling (he must be high!), is escorted to the third noose. BC Pires…who else?
Now I explode. I rip my wig from my head, throw the wet jacket to the ground, and unleash every expletive I learned from my primary school days. “Allyuh mudder! Allyuh fadder! Ah go buck up all of you!” I reach for the sub-machine gun secreted under the jacket, now exposed. I chamber a round.
“Aye!” shouts a bearded man. “Yuh ‘ent know dis is Ramadan month?” “Get him!” ten, twenty others shout, interrupting proceedings on the gallows. I fire a burst into the blood-lusting bitches. Bodies fall. I continue firing and cussing. I feel a hand grab me. I resist violently. A voice screams, “Raf, you are hitting me! Wake up!” It’s my wife. I was sweating profusely: nightmare at Woodford Square. I stammer apologetically, “Wake me up when the bloodletting is over.”
I like the satire here. Hanging can indeed become a strong revenue earner. Why take care of a cold blooded killer for the rest of his pathetic life in prison. It cost about $50,000 a year to feed him(citizens are going hungry belly) , bathe him (WASA water bills are driving people to the poor house this idiot gets to clean himself for free), provide security for him (people dying like flies on the outside this criminal is given government protection for the rest of his life, not even the Prime Minister have this), free health care (if he is sick there is an attending physician for the rest of his life. Citizens on the floor in Sando General without a bed in horrible pain).
Hang him and nay sayers will use all kinds of arguments. They forget how much it cost in police time, legal system and incredible suffering of the victims. The cost of criminality cannot be fully weight in economic terms, the thousands who refuse to visit a nation because of the murderous rampage of these illiterate criminals (sometimes they kill several people before they are caught and given a priviledge life behind bars).
The thousands of citizens who suffer economically because people are not willing to come and spend their money in the nation.
The arguments against hanging is unreasonable and based on a misguided sense of right and wrong. The two year old child who lost a father, the mother who becomes a prostitute to earn a living, the parents who lost a son they spent thousands of dollars to educate and give a good life, the children who will never again feel the presence of their father. ALl forgotten in this classical joke call the justice system. Well here is my ha, ha to this system.
Hang the scumbs and free the world of this horrible blight instead of making excuses for their diablolical deeds. Change the murder laws to specify degree of murder so that a determination can be made on the most fitting one for the hangman noose. Just do it… Crime is at an UNACCEPTABLE level in T&T.
Enough with the comedy show Uncle Shah, unlike Dookie , we cannot all return to earth as a Zandole, or Salipainter in the afterlife. To think that folks once contemplated , putting this comedian in real power over Basdeo when he launch his COP , and was castrated by the Bengal Tiger for his naivety in erroneously thinking that he was more important than the nepotistic , old ,sly fox ,political daughter ,and brother.
Hey khem , remind Uncle Shah that he should be thanking his lucky stars that he was born ,and existed in an extremely democratic country such as ours, and had astute leaders like his Father of the Nation Eric Williams ,to lead this country until his demise in 81.
Can you imagine if as a 25 year old he Shah and pal Rex,had pull such a stunt in ‘Democratic India, Pakistan , Nigeria, or China?’ Three would have ensured that both him ,and Rex Lassalle, die a quick death, blindfolded ,with two bullets to the back of the head,and an unmarked grave , thank you very much for their efforts, while the last would have skin him alive, and hang him by the big toe ,from the tallest building in the city as an example for traitors. To think some claim that ‘age brings reasons,’ but then it’s a slow news day.
As for you khem ,you heartless buffoon, quit grinning like a deranged ,constipated, African hyena in heat. Do not ignore the fact that your foolish new aged leaders ,are plodding along, just like dem PNM fools, in preference for a costly appellate Privy Council, that would ensure that twice the saving you presented is instead used in pursuit of appeals – ie if the alleged culprits, have a Bougie with $300,000 US under the bed, or 100 acres as collateral , to give to Israel Khan , or another of the immoral ,legal sharks T&T is saddled with.
Such simple minded , and shortsighted ,intellectual peons many Trinis are!
What others would cry at ,they choose to laugh.
“Can you imagine if as a 25 year old he Shah and pal Rex,had pull such a stunt in ‘Democratic India, Pakistan , Nigeria, or China?’ Three would have ensured that both him ,and Rex Lassalle, die a quick death,”
Eric only spared Shah because he knew military people like to preserve their own. Had he taken Shah and Rex out, he would have signed his own death warrant.
However Willy hired Burroughs to take out the 20 or so guerrellas who were creating havoc in T&T. Willy would not have made a deal with Abu. Legend have it that the flying squad chase these guerrellas into the bushes, they raise their hands, pee their pants and scream for the last time “I surrender”. Burroughs did the Arnie Swarshannegger thing and said “hasta la vista babie” opening up his SLR at full blast as he watch their mangie bodies fall to ground in a bloody mess. Yeah it was the best of times in T&T, all criminals knew that crime did not pay. People walked home late into the night, live carefree lives. Visited families and friends, foreigners came and enjoy their time here. Even the cops in police station went to bed at 9:00 p.m.
Today the criminals have returned with a vengence, inspired by tribal leaders such as Cudjoe and Cro Cro who said they must take from Indians and kidnap them. The gun culture has emerge with lil uneducated high school drop outs walking around with a chip on their shoulders and a revolter in their pants. The beast has been unleashed for some time in sweet T&T and is still walking around undisturbed. Hangings, quick execusions, and swift justice is badly needed to end the parade of the wicked and mindless criminals.
Neal, reading your comments over the years, I gather you have something up your “craw” against Lt. Shah. I was among the 300-odd soldiers who stood behind this brave officer back then, I too was imprisoned, and I have no regrets. It seems you do not know how many soldiers and ex-soldiers respect this officer, one of the few real soldiers to have passed through the regiment.
You always, too, refer to “if Shah was in another country, he would have been executed”. Have you ever considered if he were, he would not have hesitated to kill those who stood in his way–be it the Coast guard, the government, the police, and maybe your father or grandfather? It works both ways, neal…and you seem too ignorant to understand that.
I will add only this: after 1970, Mr Shah’s contribution to this country–in trade unionism, politics, sports, journalism–is maybe unparalleled. If he did wrong in the eyes of the law in 1970, he more than made up for it, just as many of his fellow soldiers/mutineers did.
What have you, Neal, contributed to your country? Spill bile? Write crap? wallow in your own mess. Mr Shah remains a hero to us soldiers and many others. You will forever remain a big fat zero!
Selwyn
“Yeah it was the best of times in T&T, all criminals knew that crime did not pay.”
I admire your confidence in the sly Fox Randy B my friend. Rumor has it , that not all criminals were forced to feel the wrath of his Arnold, Hasta la Vista ,Sub Machine guns, and the reason is simple , they were getting a heads up , each time he was about to make a raid in their territories/ enclaves , unlike dem kinky head fools from Lavantille , Movant ,and such .
He just could not antagonize the loving ‘families,’ of his dear wife it seems, ehh Khem? Pity you and similar fraudulent sympathizers , were not around to lend a hand , or a better yet ‘a foot ,’when the Scott Drug Report ‘came a knocking.’
“The gun culture has emerge with lil uneducated high school drop outs walking around with a chip on their shoulders and a revolter in their pants.” Typical elitist conclusion khem , always blame the folks at the bottom of the barrel for all the problems.
500 million low caste Indo brothers ,and sisters in mother India , lives in squalor and abject poverty since Independence, while the frontist, so called Democratic nation ,boast about nuclear arms race ,with their equally delusional Pakistan Muslim cousins- go figure.
In like manner, the illiterate clowns, and hopeless losers in our societies chiefly from the Brazilian like , East / West corridor favelas , are the real culprits ,for the arm robberies ,and similar crimes , while your businessmen pals , from Abu Bakr 1990 debacle onward ,go free , and with little blame ,even if it’s well known that their containers are used for transshipment of dangerous weapons ,and drugs , to bolster their greed , extravagant lifestyles ,and destructive enterprises.
Some day ,in this life or another, you’ll develop the courage to admit that 90 % of the kidnappings and criminal activities in our country , were conducted under the behest of these same ,untouchable business entities , or their young impatient children , who wish to share in some of the financial spoils before the parents depart this earth.
Ah tell you , there is nothing more despicable , than a dishonest, pro revisionist, and tribal apologist.
Ah ha , I could see how the Doc was quaking in his boots over the actions of naive 25 year old idealistic members of the Snadhurst Coup School , who perhaps still lacked the ability, to lead a bunch of snotty nose Cadets ,or Boys Scouts around the Queens Park Savanna, on an Independence Day march, or trooping of the colors exercise.
Why is khem is still slurping on this Toronto Maple Syrup, is beyond me,for it’s certainly infecting his grey matters, if any is still remaining.
Hey Selwyn, if you read most of my posting over the past two years I have been spewing my “bile,”you’ll recognize that I have nothing but the utmost respect for Uncle Shah, and cousin Rex L. I applaud his contributions to the country , after 1970 .
Guess what, I want the same opportunities for young lower caste , BLUE COLOR thugs ,in our society , that made a mistake one way or the other -even if they were NOT members of an elite class, but high school drop outs.
It is why I am against the barbaric death penalty, even for treason. It is why I wish one day some one , any one , but the destructive revisionist, would admit that they are blessed to be part of this truly democratic country , that did not assume that mantle ,on May 24th 2010. Ungratefulness should be the 11 th sin- the penalty of which, should be death by stoning , in my country.
Just kidding Trinis.
500 million low caste Indo brothers ,and sisters in mother India , lives in squalor and abject poverty since Independence, while the frontist, so called Democratic nation ,boast about nuclear arms race ,with their equally delusional Pakistan Muslim cousins- go figure.–Neal
I do not know about 500 million lower caste, I think it more like 300 million. However, Neal you are like a broken record stuck on the lower caste Indos. While you continue to harangue for change in India, I think your voice will be heard in the Indian parliament. However, you must be concern also for Africa Nealos. In the Congo over 20,000 women were brutally raped last year. It is perhaps the worst war crimes ever committed, they continue to be raped even as I write. AIDS is devouring Africa you need to speak to that issue also…. Millions have died of the dreaded disease…
Despite all that is said here God is great and reigns in every situation. Happy that this is so else we would have gone long time ago. You can will anything you want as you are given a free will but your evil deeds will not go unpunished. Actions will always have consequences… beware. Therefore, He that breathes life in us only He has the power to take life as He is the creator. Man is simply a poor sinful wreck that destroys everything he touches and always quick to assume power over his fellow man …. a power that consumes him and turns him back into a poor sinful wreck that realises no shame. Man is simply a pathetic animal no better off than the other animals around. Isn’t it wierd that we give so much praise and recognition to some of our peers yet everything around us is in a serious mess seemingly unrepairable?
http://www.humanismtoday.org/vol12/sarles.html
Your lesson for today cousin khem is to research the expression ‘global humanist.’ It might well be used to describe me, and what I stand for when it comes to the well being of all fellow human, irrespective of race, class, ethnicity , or geographical origin. Can you too develop some sense of empathy, love , and respect for the other as well, my dear friend?
May the ‘DeBalcksunGod’ who art on heaven on earth, have mercy on your twisted soul.
Neal you and I know that you are nothing but a paper tiger. Never done anything of repute but wants to tell everyone else how to live their lives. I don’t need a website to teach me how to live maybe you do. Humanitarian I am without a website. I have done my share to help suffering humanity, Haiti, Grenada, Jamaica, Shri Lanka and other nations have been recipients of my generousity. I say this not boastfully but simply as a person who cares for others. So Nealos don’t lecture me on humanitarianism.
Yes brother khem , “me think,” I might have hit a nerve with this one , eeh? Your reaction was too much overkill , for me to come to any other conclusion.
You said ,”I think it more like 300 million. However, Neal you are like a broken record stuck on the lower caste Indos. While you continue to harangue for change in India, I think your voice will be heard in the Indian parliament.”
All I have been trying to tell you comedians on this board , is that my concerns transcends race, or nationality ,geographical origin , and class,but are for all of humanity’s sufferings. I despise frauds, revisionists, and hypocrites wheresoever they can be found, and if the noose fits you , or members of the Indian Parliament , then pull it.
Sorry for what appears to be lectures to you , being that fine humanitarian that you claim to be and all, as you post statistics on Africa to prove your point on black folks barbarisms, when you said “In the Congo over 20,000 women were brutally raped last year.”
Now, do you know that India leads the world in making money as UN peacekeepers ,and that many of their officers are engaged in some of the same atrocities to many of these women, and the Indian government , just like China ,are part of the exploiters , and bolsterers of wanton Human Rights abuses by Africans as they engage in unwholesome trade and barter of while exchanging small arms weapons , for natural resources?
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/UN-probes-Indian-Army-officers-sexual-misconduct-in-Congo/articleshow/6172811.cms
In ending , one of the major differences between you , my good friend ,and myself , is that you make apologies for the tribe, and I don’t, and the reason is simple- I am not an immoral, heartless , barbarian.
Let global peace, security, political empowerment, and economic prosperity become the reality for all global citizens,and not only the privilege , yes?
Khem and Neal, I don’t know how you two find the time to insult each other. It is simply unbelievable. Nice try Neal, but there is nothing in that article that suggests that these women were abused by the Indian officer. The women were selling sex and the Indian officer was caught trying to get some. He’ll probably have more explaining to do to his wife than to the UN tribunal. As for Raffique Shah, He is also one of the most objective and balanced writers ever to grace the newspapers of T&T. He is a model citizen of Trinidad and Tobago well loved by many including myself. What happened in the 70’s was simply a side effect of – alcohol – meets ambition.
Dexter you are either a naive kid on the verge of entering purity, or simply another of our common delusion Trinis , that only have a brain for nothing else but the next Soca , or Chutney jump up, if you believe that this is all those Indians , or numerous Peace keepers are doing when functioning away from their families in desperate , war torn, Third world countries.
Now if it’s the former , my advice to you is to leave grown folks business alone, and let more knowledgeable characters like myself ramble on.Believe me when I tell you that over the past 20 years I have been in the global trenches , or know someone who did- and though much fun for ‘some of us,’ it ain’t pretty for others.
If the latter, then with the state of the economy under your new PP government,then shouldn’t you begin the mammoth task of saving your untaxed TT dollars ,towards purchasing your next skimpy ,2011 gender bending ,Peter Minchelle , or is it Barborosa costume?
Feel free however ,to carry on your love feast with the image of what you assume Uncle Shah has evolved into today, and any other national you desire, as that is your right to so engage as one of many selectively outraged , criminal apologists, on the national horizon.
That is where we both part company however, for when it comes to criminals , I do not draw distinctions,as to an illiterate , weed smoking , high school dropout bandit, or an elite middle class , privileged , and pampered miscreant with too much time to spare, be it a Muslim ex Soldier come editor at large , or a Muslim ex Police com Islamic leader.
I wish you well moving forward, and for heaven sake , please leave my good friend Khem ,and I , as we indulge in our Cyber therapy, as our country is still trying to recover from 1970, and 1990 , when the internet was not as developed, hmmmm?
In the mean time enjoy one of our Yardee brothers interpretations, of “monkey know which tree fuh climb,” as said by the wisest woman that ever lived.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsYNYyq3oT0&feature=related
Neal, as you may have realized by now, I am not a man of many words. Please don’t let my simple way cause you to believe that I am somewhat naive in some way. The bible says a fool is known by his much speaking. I never said that the abuse to African women you described do not take place. I simply said that the article you referred to does not say so. I took the time to read it. You may not agree on my take on Raffique Shah, no love lost. Sorry you think I’m intruding upon your love affair with Khem but I am one of the few people that take the time to weed through all the trash that you two put up there every time I try to find something sensible to read. Naive my friend? No. If I was naive before I came upon you two, I am now fully educated on all the negative filth about Africans and Indians that one could possibly digest. Your ongoing public quarrel reminds me of a person who plays their music loudly because they think everyone wants to hear it. I will continue to make my contributions whenever I find appropriate.
Neal, let me elaborate a bit. I admire Raffique Shag because he had the guts to take a stand for something he believed in. I think he is a model citizen because having made his mistakes he has made many positive contributions toward the develop of Trinidad and tobago and had always championed the cause of poor and working class of our country. I do not need to elaborate further. His contributions toward the development of T&T and the Indo people of T&T is well documented.
Dexter , please save this your feeble attempts at some kind of reproach ,for someone that really cares my friend , as I do not.
I take distinct pleasure in weeding out frauds, phonies, and hypocrites ,when I see them, no matter how well disguised.
I too had cause to develop some respect to our Senior Editor at Large,and commend him for whatever he was able to accomplish after his period of infamy during the 1970’s.
I however notice with some amused consternation, that with the passage of time , he has tried to make light of it , in attempts to play it off as some noble, patriotic deed ,he and Brother Rex were forced to indulge in, to save the nation, and that’s his right in our democracy – that did not begin on May 24th 2010.
Not too sure what his views on former Police Horse rider, and football goalkeeper, com Islamic polygamist Yasin Abu Bakr 1990 Parliamentary take down, but I am record as saying that these two acts ,more than any other, coupled with the fact that justice was never fully administered , are the major contributing factors for the break down of law and order in our society over time.
Quite recently I saw him also go out of his way in defense of a bunch of lawless , weed smoking Tehthron boys in Green, when they held half off chiefly poor, Diego Martin folks under siege , because they were of the view that they were so wronged by an individual from within the community, and the police was in cahoots with these lower caste citizens ,to deal with the problem.
One cannot claim to be on the side of law and order ,then be selective about who one wish to punish, when you wish to punish them, and the types of crimes you wish to be outraged about. It is not the way of nation building.
As for your apologetic interpretation about the usually elitist uncaring , Indian Peace Keeping criminal in Congo and throughout Africa, what can I say but hooray for you on the fact that you were not asleep when Teacher Mildred was teaching comprehension in the rickety ,Toco primary school.
My admonitions still remains my friend, leave grown folks business alone, close your mouth on subjects you are devoid of knowledge on , then try and learn from others like yours truly,where feasible.
When it comes to the Continent of Africa,perhaps there was only one leader I would hold up as any consistent model of stewardship,that is worth emulating, because he cared about the well being of all his people, and his name was Julius Neyere aka Mwalimu, the late President of Tanzania.
The rest, especially in places such as Sudan, Serra, Leon, Liberia, Congo,Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda,Nigeria Angola ,Zimbabwe,and South Africa, can all be rolled into a giant heap and shot publicly.Hopefully I covered the worst of them all.
At the same time the well chronicled enemies of Africa, are varied, and do not doubt me when I tell you that the list should not be limited only to savage Europeans.
Nuff said.
Just remember , you can adore Uncle Shah as much as you desire , but remember that such decadent behaviors is where he an old school,spiritual minded fellow like myself, would draw the line. It is an abomination my friend, and if you were part of the Yardee population , you too would be joining the statistics, but that’s a different subject, for another occasion, eh Uncle Shah.
Love country , over tribe!
Neal, I am in no way trying to steal your thunder. You have obviously been around this block a few times. Being more of a curbside observer I would occasionally venture a few comments here and there, always at the risk of getting run over by heavyweights like yourself and Khem. You see bother Neal, Having experienced the 70’s like yourself I was also at the Police Headquarters in Port of Spain on the day that Bakr and his boys decided to bomb it and burnt it down. Having known some of the young men involved through daily trying to show them a more positive way of life, whenever we would chance to meet on the streets of Port of Spain, some even tried to warn me indirectly moments before but I never understood until afterward. You see Neal, while paper assassins and eloquent talkers like yourself were hiding under your mattress and pissing all over yourself, pen in hand, or running for the next flight out of the country, I spent the next few days engaged in running gun battles in the streets of Port of Spain, Beetham estate, Laventille and environs, all in an effort with our collective security forces to take back our democracy. This is but a small glimpse of some of the things I have done on a daily basis in the past so that people like you can continue your normal way of life, writing your bullshit, trying to impress people of what you know. So don’t try to lecture on similarities between Abu Bakr and Raffique Shah because I know the difference between a man fighting for betterment and a ruthless Tyrant. Have you forgotten that George Weeks and others whom we recognize as heroes of the people today were part of that same 70’s uprising? So don’t talk intellectual bullshit to me. I have since moved on to bigger horizons and could not care less for people like you who masquerade as exemplars and builders of our black society while having no kind words for our first black President or his wife in your many writings, even while your cousin Khem continues to degrade black people saying that they are only good for CECEP and the like. Actually that is the exact view the rest of the developed world had of us until the presidency of Mr. Barack Obama. Being at present one of the few permanently employed Black employees in a well established North American company with over 5000 workers; I have seen first hand the difference in respect toward black people that this Presidency had brought us. For the first time in history even though we ourselves have always known it; The rest of the world has acknowledged that black folk can function in positions of responsibility at all levels of society in developed countries outside of Africa and the Caribbean. So I think enough has been said on this piece. You can have the last say if you wish.
I will now leave you “grown folk” to carry on with your little quarrel about Africa and India and Africans and Indians; because as I said before I am merely an observer and have no desire to get into intellectual quarrels especially with people who know it all. Truly there are bigger issues at hand.
On to the next.
Correction to above, I said George Weeks, I meant Butler.
“You see Neal, while paper assassins and eloquent talkers like yourself were hiding under your mattress and pissing all over yourself, pen in hand, or running for the next flight out of the country, I spent the next few days engaged in running gun battles in the streets of Port of Spain, Beetham estate, Laventille and environs, all in an effort with our collective security forces to take back our democracy.”
Not so quick my friend Dexter, and proud “permanently employed Black employees in a well established North American company with over 5000 workers.” I will give you for credit for everything that was said , but this above qoute , as I was one of dem useless bums, who was relieving you , so that you could get a chance to run home to see if your wife, and kids were fine during the curfew , to get back stolen goods all over the country. It was PNM and ULF /UNC cowards that were absent on that fateful day when my PM was being shot in the knees -only because of where he so happened to be born.
It took me another year to finally decide that Trinidad and Tobago ,was not for be any more, and is still awaiting 20 years hence ,to see if the souls of our fellow uniform brothers and sisters ,that paid the ultimate price , will get some rest , as a result of real justice.
Let’s wish our country well, pick our battles , and work towards it’s full development.
Can we can therefore agree , on one thing? It is ,’no security , no development.’
Neal; My sincere apologies to you. We are in agreement. Forge ahead, keep it positive.
Most definitely my friend, and sincere apologies are also in order on my part.
Let’s find a way to play some role in ‘advancing the cause of humanity,’where possible, which includes the quest for peace, security, economic prosperity, and political empowerment for all,not only in our beloved country, but across the entire global village, yes?
Well said,
I am with you my brother. Keep up the good work.