23 thoughts on “Schoolgirl, 14, hacked to death”

1. My heart grieves for this couple, who did everything reasonable to protect their child,to no avail.Hoow can one detect slumbering evil in a person’s soul? No religious system that I know of, equips parents to deal with this horror.

   Let us not let this die here. The police should do a thorough check of this predator, how he lived, his recreational ctivities, investigate where he lived and with whom. try to probe the “things on which his mind and spirit feed”.

   By now, those in the field should be able to put out a profile of a potential predator by looking at muliple cases, even the lives of suicides.

   The state needs to invest in school buses, from ten passenger maxis to 25 seaters. Each licencee should be accredited to particular region, to transport kids to specific schools in the grid. A school bus seen out of its locale on a school day should be cause for immediate alarm. The state should also provide subsidies for getting children safely to school, something in the area of ten cents a mile. Drivers cannot be able to operate for anyone but school children duing the school hours- trnsport times may vary in specific areas.

   This should help provide work for young people. No current H driver shuld get these permits.To qualify,drivers must pass a drug test every six months, and have photo, fingerprint and DNA evidence on file.They must have a cellphone and an address available to parents on his route.

   This will not guarantee 100% safety for children, but it will go long way. It is used quite successfull in the USA.

   Central has the reputation of being responsible for ll these crimes against children. The politicians, the rligious leaders, the chamber of commerce and other plitical leaders must get toether to sole this problem. This was once a silent crime, that is now coming violently into the open.

2. Thank you Ms. L for a thoughtful analysis of this ghastly event , and often taboo subject of youthful sexual abuse and other cultural taboo predilections of segments of our national community . There are many who claim to be concerned about run away crimes but would remain silent on this growing menace. Many of our moralist would often pontificate about child welfare , but would ignore this area because it involves the poor and desperate, and lacks the racially tinged intermix that can help garner media ratings and fit a narrow political global agenda.
   Let’s listen to the apologist defend the 27 year old miscreant , with his penchant for little girls. Now back when you were a teacher in good old Trinidad , and a young student such as this comes to you with deep rooted commentaries of death, as opposed to some normal school or youth related request , your antennae might be up I am certain. Not this noble teacher of our young raped and murdered victim 14-year-old Zareen Ansara Mohammed., that today tries to be some hero at a funeral with this revelation. Even Imam Zaman Mohammed the officiating official jumped into the political brew of shifting blame for the mayhem elsewhere to as he claim “ vulgarity that our young people are being exposed to.”
   Our wonderful COP , wants to ban PH cars , introduce more Taxis , and you said bring back the buses and even trains , Tram cars and helicopters to take poor Freeport , Barackpore and Las Lomas kids safely to schools daily. I’ll throw in President Obama Air Force One for good measure. Something tells me that this kid would still be unsafe , at the hands of Churaman Ramsaroop if he was the driver of any of these mode of transport. What I want my Commissioner to do starting with this case is to set up a squad that would really investigate these alleged suicides that are taking place so frequently across our nation as many appear to be too convenient for my liking. I am however a pragmatist ,and fully recognize that the police can only fully investigate , and come to sound conclusions based on the support they can obtain from close nit communities be they in John John, or Erin.
   There is only one way to save the kids of our nation from such despicable display of wanton abuses often with the support of overwhelmed poor parents desperately attempting to get away from deep recesses of the degrading social quagmire via their kids. It is not by only making though laws that would send criminals away for one hundred years along with 300 lashes of our famous Cat-o-9-tail, but by lowering the rights to vote to fourteen and fifteen years, as this would empower kids by making them into a useful constituent. “If you no smell like fish from the market, You tight pants tight, you jeans fit tight. Jamaica Girls jeans fit, Barbados girls jeans fit , Trinidad Girls jeans fit .” “I want to see the girls in hear without a man .Raise you hands and show it , sexy and single, and you ready to mingle.” Play the decadent Soca music , I say!. It might be the only thing that’s keeping more of us from climbing up on the 50th floor of the Financial towers and jumping off in solidarity for the poor and desperate from Freeport to Beetham.
   Hmmmm!
   Regards from Your super-patriotic voice of reason.

3. There is no way to stop random acts of violence. However, as Linda suggested there could be more to limit these random acts. Why they haven’t already instituted regulations, and systems to save the children I can’t answer. It doesn’t make sense that so many children are subjugated to the corrupt minds of adults. Some blame the music that the children listen to is the cause while if anything it’s the music that the adults listen to as they guzzle Stag after Stag or any other alcoholic beverage. While the P.M. was having a new home built, perhaps he should have spent money on a public program to help mentally unstable people. Perhaps he should have made sure that children who live more than one mile away from school have public transportation for students only. How many children need to be chopped before we say no more? By not protecting the children, we are saying to predators that it’s normal to chop a child if they resist corruption.

4. Curtis I am happy to see that you did not blame soca music and Hip Hop and Dub music as the cause for a 29 year old adult to rape and smash the skull of a 14 year old girl, as I am sure you weren’t find any such music on the PH tape deck , home stereo or IPod of the young victim and adult lover. You seem to have this callous way with words for someone that pretend to care that it’s almost mind-boggling. “Random acts of violence.” With the last 9 to eleven months , at least 10 East Indian children were murdered or raped by either their father, or step father , forced to drink poison , all because of some culturally related love triangle going array between the mother , father, or other extended family. You could continue to use mental illness as a prop , and feel that if the PM stop construction of his residence it would somehow result in Valsayn , Westmooring , or Trinidadian bourgeois styled transportation for poor , hungry and desperate Oropuche West ,and Couva ,and Penal children.
   Listen kid there is a crisis that is taking place in our country , that’s more than the PNM or UNC misguided elite kingmakers and leaders can individually deal with.
   The irony is that a few nuvo rich Indo Trini youths and their afro counterparts come home regularly and driving around with their parent’s Lexus , and a few clowns described as Social Scientist believes that somehow children are fine and doing well in our country. Folks like yourself , Malika Panday and Young Patrick Manning Jr. are exception to the rule as you always had your parents to cushion you and body guards to protect you. Who do you think would protect our children from desperate parents that would encourage pedophilia , and other terrible deeds of neglect and mayhem to their own in an effort to raise themselves up socially to your lofty levels.
   As C. Wright Mills would say in the Sociological Imagination this problem that you so comically describes as random acts of violence , moved beyond the domain of a “private problems of the individual,” to that of one of our numerous “societal issues .”Ask yourself this question, do you seriously believe that some of the old guard cultural bandits that dominate the thinking of the masses at the lower spectrum of the society are well equipped to pull us out of this quagmire? Are we in a better position , when young seemingly intelligent minds like yourself are prepared to call a spade what it is ?

   Perhaps you think this is bad , but read what is happening in your beloved civilized Europe of all places. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090321/ap_on_re_eu/eu_europe_incest
   Sorry to use you as an example , but you just seem perfect ., but correct me if I am wrong, or you are so inclined.

5. I HAVE LEFT TRINIDAD 27 YEARS AGO AND LIVES IN ENGLAND AND HAVE NO REGRETS. WHAT A CRIMEFUL PLACE TO LIVE. AT ONE TIME TRINIDAD WAS A LOVELY CAREFREE PLACE TO LIVE, WHAT IS WRONG NOW. WHERE ARE THESE MURDERERS COMING FROM?? SEND THEM BACK! AGAIN MORE EMPHASIS IS ON SOCA MUSIC AND CARNIVAL RATHER THAN THE SAFETY OF CHILDREN. HOW REDICULOUS THIS IS !!CHILDREN ARE THE FUTURE AND NEED TO BE EDUCATED AND FEEL FREE TO GO AND COME HOME. I FEEL SICK TO READ WHAT IS HAPPENING. THE LAW AND PUNISHMENT IS NOT VERY STRONG. I THINK OF TRINIDAD WITH LOVE SOMETIMES BUT MOST OF THE TIME I FEEL A SENSE OF FEAR. THINK OF THE CHILDREN FIRST.

6. .I left Trinidad and now live in the UK for the past 25 years. I read with horror the crimes that are being committed in Trinidad and Tobago, a place I remember growing up without fear for the safety of myself or my brother and sisters. Our front door was always left open there was no fear of any unwelcome visitors. I know that things have changed around the world because of drugs, poverty and the exposure to violence on Tv, computer games etc. It appears that the people who are responsible for enforcing the law are more concerned with wealth and their own status in life rather than doing the job that they were democratically elected to do. This is a stain on the Government, the law enforcement agencies and every responsible citizen .It is imperative that priority should be given to make this beautiful island a better and safer place not only on special occasions e.g to attract tourists, carnival celebrations, seminars for world leaders, but an island where its citizens and the children who are the future of the island can all live with the freedom of not being afraid for their safety with every step they take, a simple journey in a taxi, children going to school, journey to work etc. Every human being has the God given right to enjoy life without fear that some mindless thug who has no respect for life can just destroy it at their whim. It is the responsibility of the Government and the Poiice Force to do whatever is necessary to restore law and order in this beautiful Island

7. Hello there to the foreign based Hill family! I Neal feel your pain. You’ve worked hard all your lives abroad serving diligently , and now that you nearing the autumn of your life and want’s to return home and put up 12 room mansion next to the Bryan Lara or Abu Baker mansions , but you are scared and is thinking about purchasing instead a one room apartment in Ocho Rios Jamaica for JA 200 million , or one of the crafty Bajan /German and other European enclaves beyond the reach of our oil craving, and flying fish stealing neighbors .
   Now you both have a distinctive choice after all the hand wringing, or self loathing is over , and you are now prepared to put some serious , cogent ,analysis to the problem. Ask yourself this, how would the civilize folks deal with this in your good old Britannia?
   Government, police , law and justice, surely have a role to play, and we should not let them escape lightly. However, you know deep in your hearts that these miscreants do not operate in a vacuum. Parents , teachers, guardians, religious institutions , and local social networks are all in collusion with some of these activities on a daily basis. It’s the equivalence to snitching in urban black lower cast neighborhoods where tugs commit crimes daily , are cuddled by relatives and the community , thus tying the hands of our law enforcement authorities with respect to garnering vital evidence to foster arrest and convictions where necessary. We therefore need to encourage and develop a forum where the matters of crime , poverty and exploitation of our little angels are discussed candidly , with an endgame in sight. Be prepared to be part of the solution , as there is no place like home. Ready to move beyond cries of despair?
   Regards.

8. let me tell allyuh something, it have school buses if allyuh didn’t know the gov’t have big maxis that give kids free rides to an from school but is if u want to take it or not it’s ur choice i’m not saying that what was done to this girl is right, but at the same time, none of us know what really went on. an some ppl hve the nerve to say they so in shocked at what is goin on in trinidad plz. u guys need to wake up yuh not safe no way whatsoever in trinidad, uncle sam labass,
   no dam where.

9. My sister had sid that I could tell this story, it happened more than twenty years ago. She was a nurse then at the Arima health facility, which used to be called a hospital. Her colleague, another nurse and mother, had hired a taxi driver to take her daughter to school every day. Because nurses’schedules do not synchronize with school’s schedules, the daughter was left home, at fourteen, to take the taxi when he called, after locking up the house, and go to school. One morning, the taxi arrived at the Arima hospital, horns blaring in urgency. He screeched to a stop and kept his hand on the horn. Emergency people rushed out. He called for the girl’s mother, but did not open the door. Mother rushed out, alarmed.
   This is what had happened. The girl had asked her mother for $100.00 to buy a pair of Calvin Klein jeans(It was twenty years ago, remember), mother, quite sensibly refused. She decided to ask the taxi driver for it. He of course refused. The girl then said she will rip up her clothes and say he tried to rape her. She proceeded to do just that, scratching her breasts and face and crying false tears. The driver locked all doors, and raced to her mother’s place of work. He demanded that a doctor examine the child to see if he had touched her. Then he opened the door. The mother grabbed the girl and started pelting cuffs. Embarrassment and rage combined to produce a good cutarse.( I do not generally approve of these, you know).
   She then forced the girl to apologise to the driver who had missed some fares because of this incident.

   He agreed to continue driving the girl to school.

   Something else must have happened in Chaguanas, but there is this one noble taxi-driver,in the east, who did the right thing in the face of provocation, and I salute him. He may never see this, but the story is true. My sister, Mrs. M. Bernard, went to the ancestors in 1999. I hope that young girl grew up to be more responsible than she was at fourteen. We were recently reviewing the fracas of two years ago at Zen nightclub, and few could believe that that girl too was a fourteen year old school girl. Does anyone know what her school’s take on the issue was? This piece is listed on the internet, in case we forget.

   When people say they are glad to have left Trinidad, they try to make it sound as if all the good people left, and the rotten ones remained. That is simply not true. The Trinidad they left does not exist anymore, but it is to Europe that we turn for the most horrid stories of child exploitation in the Western Hemisphere. The father convicted in Austria last week is only the latest example. Maybe those who migrated do not read the papers in their own new country. The stories are horrid everywhere.

10. I have made my comments.

11. Neal, brush my comments aside if they make you feel better. I would not like to stand in the way of your happiness. Many once blamed Calypso and Pan for the actions of corrupt individuals’ years ago. Do you remember? Trinidad and Tobago’s problem is alcohol abuse, poverty, greedy self worshiping government officials, and reactive parent and community instead of proactive.
    Is there anyone that still believes that an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure? People that are identified as mentally ill should not be roaming the community. Substance abusers should not ever be near children. Children should be escorted by adults to and from school. Are they not an investment into the future of the nation?
    It is clear that empty vessels make the most noise. I have been attacked because random acts of violence are real. No one can predict who is going to be targeted by whom. We can only refer back to an ounce of prevention being better than a pound of cure. I’m not a tough guy or thug, but I would be willing to bet you that had I (or you) been in that car that day that this would not have happened. I wonder if there was a toxicology report generated from the perpetrators’ blood and if it contained some banned substance or an excessive amount of alcohol.
    If a person never showed any history of violence and then erupts one day I am not under the impression that it was because of the music.

12. Curtis I would prefer to brush aside your imbecilic sarcastic swipes, and dribble about somehow making “me feel better,” or “stand in the way” of my happiness .” I do not wish to try and figure out what you were implying, or any that find my style of writing offensive . I have and will continue to articulate views and cogent facts “without fear , affection, malice, or ill will,” to any particular segment of our society.
    No, I personally cannot remember a time when corruption in my country was blamed on Calypso and Pan. Tell you what , if the intellectual , journalist , or public figure is still alive that advocated such a comical theory , promise me that you’ll join me after a nice Easter Sunday or post Emancipation drink at one of our famous St James bars to go to their home , invite them to our famous Caura river , or filthy Caranege beach, or Ecarcas Bay , and drown them for such foolhardy stupidity committed years ago.
    I am not really prepared to have a debate on whether the rapes , murders , poisoning and other atrocious acts of horrendous acts of obvious Human Rights violations ,that are daily committed in Central , South and other sectors of the population by Indo Trini males on young children and females are mere “random acts of violence,” which are the result of alcohol consumption. One thing I am certain about is that these statistics weren’t be use anytime soon by the numerous criminal apologist , and country bashers ,as they strive to find a niche for themselves in more pristine foreign quarters ,while debasing the name of their country and people at every opportunity.
    I tell you, is it any wonder we are failing to make a dent on our numerous social problems when everyone is an authority on the criminal predilections of misguided poverty stricken , perennially neglected ‘culture depraved,’ Afro Trini citizens that commit criminal acts, but are silent when degenerate miscreants do the same on other sides of the so called divide.
    In ending Curtis, let me state that some of us writing on this blog take our selves too serious if we think somehow that these discussions are somehow personal . I would like to believe that we are still blessed with some of the most sophisticated and level headed folks in the region and perhaps the globe , and that we all still care about our entire country and wish to see it elevated to its rightful position of respectability in the world. Who enjoys seeing the richest English speaking island in the region playing second fiddle to upstart Bajans and backward Jamaican opportunistic ,nuts?
    It is for this reason that some of us choose to still write and put in ‘our two cents,’ on the issues of the day- instead of perhaps indulging in some more wholesome activity- so as to advance ideas for the elimination of seemingly unsolvable problems.
    One of the smartest ladies in the world used to often say to me -although in a different context-that “ a liar is worst than a thief .” It is why I despise people in the know that fail to speak the truth , particularly when it is related to their own country as the rippling effects can be very devastating. Remember Curtis , and others – the gullible masses needs direction. Let’s continue to keep the conniving power elites honest, while simultaneously , we try to prepare desperate fellow nationals for the real revolution , and liberation from any cultural , ideological, and psychological subjugations, that is destined to have them remain political and economic captives of early 20th century thinking.
    Regards my friend.

13. Neal, Curtis how do your seemingly silly verbal fisticuffs move the cause of humanity forward? Seems to me you use this tragedy, not to call for new insights into old problems but to indulge in verbal strutting, what I used to call verbal masturbation when I was involved in the business community. You go at each other regardless of the issue. The moderator must be sleeping.Enough already.

14. Ms. L, I don’t know about Curtis, but I have had my fill of you and your constant meddling re my commentary on this board. Why can you not just appreciate the new rules of driving when it comes to this modern tool called the ‘information highway?’ Stay in your lane Ms. L, and accord some of us the same respect that we have extended to you even when you did not deserve it!
    I have endured some of your baseless dribble over the past eleven to 12 months , but have been kind enough to extend a compliment as a way of encouragement as I feel that though you fell within the category that I love to call ‘blood sucking, disingenuous elites,’ your heart is generally in the right place.
    You boast about your green eyes obtained from your European ancestors, and I said to myself, good for her Halle Berry have nothing on her. You pontificate about your ancestral home Africa and how you enjoy wearing African garbs that most modern Africans today abhor, and though sometimes appalled , I wished you God’s speed as you compliment yourself for accommodating and facilitating the upward mobility of young African students in the USA.
    I like many of our Indo Trini friends kept silent and listened to your outrage at their community, while screaming loudly for those that care to hear about your Indian blood that flows through your veins. Everyone with more than an apple in their heads knows fully well that behind this entire pretense at outrage, where your allegiances are, and the real reasons you are so perturbed. Never would you get the satisfaction of ever seeing genuine independent and objective thinkers praise this useless political party of yours that have rode the backs of its mainly black constituents for decades, and gave absolutely nothing in return.
    It is clear that they have also failed the people of this blessed nation miserably in every aspect from Toco to La Brea, Signall Hill to Roxborough, and Caranage to Maracas. It is your right to support unquestioningly the nepotistic king himself Uncle M especially as he strives to save the world, while neglecting the good citizens.
    It is unfortunate that you viewed the lovely debate that Curtis and I engaged in as “verbal masturbation,” that shed no “new insight into old problems.” Shows clearly how out of touch you are. O yes, send a couple bus in Freeport , Fizabad and Freeport to pick up the kids of overwhelmed families and that would end all the woes that have been festering in that neck of the woods. Better yet , when you capture a criminal ,have your Prison Official display their non professionalism and prejudices as they allow the murderer and rapist of a 9 year old victim to be murdered at the hands of fellow prisoners thus shifting the focus away from his act , and making him into a victim.
    In ending, please note that your suggestion for this country, region or world at large is in no way superior to any that we have put forward. How dare you to suggest censorship by our astute moderators to commentaries on this board! I now see why you adore China, Cuba and Zimbabwe to the degree that you do. To thinks that we mistakenly thought that you stood on the side of freedom , free speech and independent thinking.

15. Neal, one rainy Sunday when there is not much else to do,I want you to read your last five posts on any issue, and see what I am talking about. I love the whole world, including TnT, but I cnnot abide the nonsene some people get into in commenting on an issue. Its that old composition/creative writing teacher in me. Old Elodie Bissessar would have taken a red pen to much that is written, cross them out and give three points out of a hundred, for trying.I find the same to be true of others, but on the serious issue of the increasing sexual brutalization of a child, you got to me. My fault entirely. Trough my fault, through my own most greievous fault…

    keep thinking of som teenage child who might read these, looking for ideas on how to write, but this of course cannot be the purpose of these entries.

16. Ms. L I won’t be too hard on you, as I fully understand your penchant for correcting grammar and faulty English that even the many rum drinking Liverpool taxi drivers and Oxbridge Professors cannot still fully master . It’s the teacher in you, or as you claimed, so many years of repeated rulers across your rump by old sadistic Grande teachers like Mr. Elodie Bissessar , and Mother Superior Mc Giver – the perfectionist Irish Nun of your once elite St. Francois Girls Prep school.
    I was a T&T short pants Cops many moons ago myself ,and still to this day would not trust my Mother in Law’s ulterior motives for going into my room without my permission. I still try to catch my teenage son in lies , and will forever be suspicious as to what him and his girlfriend might be doing in the backseat of the car after 8 pm, or what scheme the Rasta head Muslim couple might be up to 19 years after that fateful day in the Red House. It is in our nature Ms. L.
    You said the following:- “but on the serious issue of the increasing sexual brutalization of a child, you got to me. My fault entirely.” I was about to get my blood pressure up , or more appropriately perturbed, at your subtle swipe , but thought other wise . Why “indulge in verbal strutting, and fisticuffs,” that would make you reminisce painfully about your time in “the business community.” Who would not want to move humanity forward, or wish to get the ire of our hard working moderators up , that you alone can dare to claim were sleeping?
    Tell you what , it’s frustrating folks like this that make me feel like getting my ‘country hating groove on’ like thousand of my fellow nationals. As a matter of fact , I have a three weeks vacation coming up in April , and since I never been to another island outside of the neglected island ward Tobago, perhaps its time for me to start to check out some real estate in progressive states like Dominica or St Lucia where the citizens are not so full of themselves because of a stupid piece of paper- aka diploma .
    Someone once said that too much education , can be a dangerous thing. They might just be on to something. Sir Ellis Clarke gave about 10,000 speeches from his days as Governor General to the end of his term as President , and only once did we see him read from a script . It was when the Queen Elizabeth paid a visit to his country . So perfect was his English, he even sang calypsos like Pavarotti. Go figure that one out.
    Thank you Samuel Selvon, Derrick Walcott, Earl Wallace ,and other local writers of world renown and respect . You guys did not have to sell your collective soul by trying to mimic Europeans 365 days per year even when asking for the toilet paper in the privacy of that solemn room. It’s almost laughable , but only in sweet T&T aka Rainbow country would you find such stupid fixative obsessions . Antigua , here I come! Grenada! St Vincent! I now see why most of these country bashing cynics want to be a Canadians, Australians or British, and Scottish at the slightest nudge.

17. Bissessar, Elodie, MT. Female lecturer at Government teachers’ College in the 1960’s and an absolute dragon about writing making sense. God bless her and all the others who insisted on standards.

18. Hey! Hey! as our many drunken local Parliamentarians would say as they closely mimic their British House of Representatives & Lords counterparts. Standards are vital as you said especially when it comes to writing. It’s a pity there were no emphasis by these luminaries to also placed some emphasis on teaching loyalty to country , and patriotism as well. Think about the possibilities for our beloved country if only they could receive some acknowledgement from our supreme country bashing, self loathing ,globally elevated and recognize Nobel Prize Literature luminary http://pakteahouse.wordpress.com/2009/02/03/vsnaipaul-misogyny-mistresses-and-sadism/
    “Much ado over nothing,” Ms. L . Your last Harvard and Yale educated President along with his Yale grad father ruled the free world for twelve years , and both could not put a coherent thought or sentence together without an overpaid aid like Condi at their respective sides, even if you threatened to drown them simultaneously in one of the numerous oil wells they stole from desperate Red Indians in Texas. Proves once again how much over emphasis low cast intellectuals like yourself place on this thing called education. It takes more than a diploma to elevate standards depending on what you choose to define as such.

19. If you are talking about Bush 1 and 11, let me say that Bush 1 was chosen by the Republicans, but the way the college of electors is set up, he won. The world knows that the Supreme Court chose Bush 11 the first time, and the clererly engineered attack on the twin towers cemented fear in the hearts of many, and they voted him in again. Al Gore won the popular vote in 2000. That last eight years is a tragedy we are struggling to overcome, and we will with the resounding popularity, class, candor and optimism of the Obama administration. Both Bushes had a war with the English language some kind of Dyslexia. I used Bush 11 to remind muy students why mastery of the English language was mandatory-” You could run for President one day”. This was long before Barack broke on the scene at the Democratic Convention in 2004. I have a collection of Bushisms given to me as a calendar by my impish brother in law. I used many of those quotes to force my students to write succintly and clearly.

    So, they had their hour on stage. A Barack Obama might not have been posible had Bush 11 not been so awful. I always said though, that he is a kindly man, loyal to his friends.He must be great to have as an “Uncle George” Now, let us leave him to his retirement, and the dignified silence he has maintained since JAn.20. That, is worthy of respect.

20. I am just expressing my opinion as to how I believe that senseless crimes could be prevented. Don’t blame me for the ills of TNT society for I am not responsible for it’s plight. I would say that the society will continue to fall and fail to meet expectations because there is too much in fighting and not enough assimilation. The children are the future, but everyone seems to focus on entertainment and alcohol. What is there for the children in such an environment? It seems that masquerading is the norm of society and nobody is being realistic on issues because of how it may make them look.
    At any rate this is tragic. To the person that believes that there is safety no where, that’s too bad for you. Perhaps that’s why people have been fleeing the country in record numbers since every year since Independence. Optimist point out high levels of immigration from other third world countries a sign that TNT is an attractive place to exist. Well, I guess if you’re coming from Africa or India anything is possible. More Trinis live outside of Trinidad than inside. Isn’t there something wrong with that? Families raising families abroad claiming to be Trini except everyone in their family is a Yankee or a Britt now. That speaks volumes about TNT society. The greed of individuals or the need to survive is driving the good people out only to be replaced by what you live with. On top of that the deportees of Trini families past confused criminals from U.S. inner city ghettos coming into the community with a warped perception of the culture.
    In TNT you are divided by ethnic group, but in the States you’re all Trini?
    I’m voicing my opinion and am not taking any of this personal. I just care and my opinion may reflect that. I’m learning and I hope that all who read these posts are doing the same. We all care about TNT or we wouldn’t waste our time am I right? I disagree with some things stated here, as I’m sure others disagree with me.
    Lets continue to express our opinions. They are what they are.

21. As usual an excellent and thought provoking response Ms. L , and one that I always look forward to. You are correct to do your part to keep your student focus on English language mastery. Don’t forget that it still is viewed as a ‘melting pot’ , or ‘toss salad’ if one prefers with it mosaic of competing ethnicities and languages . Often immigrant parents take deep pride in teaching and holding on to the language of birth , and this can make your task much more difficult as a teacher. Language and the ability to communicate well ,do matter. The New York Binghamton massacre and suicide by the frustrated 42-year-old Asian killer Jiverly Voong might just be one of the negative fallouts , if the post destruction media accounts are to be given any credence by us skeptics.
    As far as the US Presidency goes or education generally , it is fair to say that it means different things for the elites like the Bushes and former rival Al Gore ,than possibly for the common folks like Bill Clinton, and Barrack Obama while growing up .It is therefore no coincidence that both young privileged Al Gore , and young GW had comparable shoddy grades. This as you might agree from a sociological point was not because they were dumb , or the teachers were deficient , but because they attached a different value to education as opposed to others of the lower caste or class if one prefers. Bill Clinton grew up with a single mom and a drunken abusive stepfather, Obama had to depend on his grandparents since he was abandoned by his shiftless Caucasian mom , and a confused African father. Renown Queens College Sociology Professor Stephen Steinberg’s book the Ethnic Myth explores in detail this subject of class , race and educational achievements in a bit more detail.

    Both had no choice but to strive to excel. Al Gore with all his C grades went to Harvard and monkey around as a journalist in Vietnam ,when unfortunate kinky hair low class kids were dying left right and center around him. George W Bush with his Yale History degree and Harvard MBA , has failed miserably in everything he ventured into before the Presidency. Fortunately both had respective privileged dads to save them . Unfortunately for Al Gore , G bush Snr. Was a former UN Ambassador, WW Veteran, CIA head, VP , President , and Oil billionaire with a Congressman Dad . His dad in contrast had less political influence being a mere Tennessee closet racist Dexiecrat Senator . As such Bush Jr stole his thunder in 2000. Poor Gore , the guy could not even win his own state , or that of the most popular President in terms of achievements since FDR.
    What we need to do Ms. L is to attempt to council kids that are contemplating higher education , as well as parents that are making the decision of getting a second mortgage to facilitate entry into one of the so called elites institutions. Have them try and understand the value of networking, as it everything. It is unfortunate that many working class and even lower middle class urban kids are giving up totally on education , but opting sometimes instead for more quicker and creative mechanisms – like becoming a henchman for our local conglomerates for example , or in the case of the females try to out do their parents as far as the amount of unwanted pregnancies and unnecessary babies.
    “Uncle George” can certainly be left alone to clown around at baseball parks , as he still possess the stupid , corrupt, Missouri Pork chop former VP Cheney to do all his dirty works for him . One of this was to recently state publicly that your President is “making America unsafe.” That was one of the skills of GW , to surround himself with these loyalist that would defend his stupidity , and now disgusting legacy all the way to the next century. As a history buff , tell me an occasion when a political figure of such stature as Pork Chops Cheney made such a dumb comment less than 100 day into the Presidency of a new President? His clownish opportunistic , pill popping former DJ and now conservative radio pit-bull neighbor Rush Limbaugh is understandable , but Cheney? Think about how much this world could have been spared if this greedy guy had fell prey to one of the 3,000 heart attacks he experienced since the age of 15. Is God fair? Perhaps not, agreed? I am focusing myself on the issue of suicide killers amongst us and in the global communities to see how it can be prevented . I pledge to pay more attention to how I cross my T’s & dot my I’s in the future.
    Keep them honest.
    Regards.

22. Jenny, thanks for that story I commend you. I to live abroad in NYC for over twenty-something years and would love to return home to live. Crime exists all over the globe and no country is exempt from crime. Trinidad is a small country and have a lot of crime for a country that stature, but its not good for Trinidadians who live abroad to thumb their noses at Trinidad and act like they live n a save haven because when the time come for “them” to put “us non born citizens” out where would some of us run to?

23. i know zareen almost 13 years of my life this child did not deserve this she went to my school does anyone know what is happening to all teenagers out here they are just being murderd one by one or is that too slow. our entire school (Carapicaima West Secondary is in grief of a loved one its sad to see what this world is coming to. thanks bye…………..

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