Dear Editor,
Keith Rowley, Fitzgerald Hinds and Camille conjured a racist history to beat their support base into divisive support. I am going to help them.
Are we going to change the name of Port of Spain? Because according to the narrative being advanced, Spain was an oppressive colonizer. What about the name Trinidad, named after the Trinity that leaves every other religion out? Surely if you balancing scales that scale would need balancing, not so? Take it further. Presidents house, White Hall and the Red House, reminiscent of slave owner Plantation houses, will they be demolished Keith Rowley? Especially the Red House that was built using slave labour? What about the two cathedrals in town? Slaves off loaded the stones they are built from, will the latest PNM stunt call for their demolition as well? Archbishop’s house?
I am going to shed light on this PNM stunt and push the stunt artists in chief to stand by the justifications of their decisions until they have to face the reality of the Royals in England, the good ship Jesus (the first slave ship) and the blessing of the Vatican.
Will we be taking the fight for equality there Keith? Or are we stopping at Columbus statue and street names?
The Bible even instructs in numerous passages how slaves are to be owned and disciplined. How far are you prepared to go with this Keith Rowley? Will you ban the Bible? Or do Jewish slaves not fit your equalifying rhetoric?
And if emancipating black people is your concern, why don’t you call for an emancipation meeting in Wildflower Park, the new face of separationism that leads to some people ‘just not being welcome there?’
I want the grandchildren of Africa to really dig up in all of this and follow it to its rightful conclusion, where they will find Balisier House at the center of all black advantage and oppression. I wonder what Keith, Fitzgerald and Camille will do then, when they look into Massa’s face and see their own staring back? Will they find more trappers and catchers like Rhoda and her mob to edit the truth out of context to advance the grand lie that the PNM cares?
Why none of them chose to live in Beetham or Laventille? Why Hinds doesn’t move his primary residence from upscale Hillsborough in Maraval to the Laventille constituency he represents?
Why stop at changing names and moving statues, when there is so much more to address?
Any of our big companies like McErnearny Alston’s and Neal and Massy, do any of them have their roots and foundations in any histories benefitting from the slave trade? What will you propose Keith if you find the answer is yes?
How do the first peoples feel about the names Carib beer and Arawak chicken? Shouldn’t those be changed in the interest of balancing the scales for all?
The PNM has run out of ideas and has resorted to gassing up black sensitivity to the hurtful oppression of history and plans to fight those wrongs by engaging in semantics and stunts.
I say to Keith, Camille and the rest that is simply not good enough. To erase the history of the oppressor you must wipe the trail from Moruga beach where Columbus first came ashore and demolish everything we got from any of the colonizers that practiced slavery. If you’re going to mash it all up then stand on the pile of ruins and tell PNM supporters that instead of tackling the real issues like ending modern day oppression faced by all people but especially poor black people in the banks, you got them fresh ruins to build on.
Ensuring the same rule applied to now dead Abu Bakr on the still contested lands at Mucurapo road could be applied to equally dead Anthony Sabga at Grand Bazaar where the former highway reserve was concerned.
That in the name of balancing the scales ALL people would be treated the same before the state and the law.
Because if they not doing that then surely they could miss us with their bullshit. That black Trinidadians should ask Rowley how Fatima is a prestige school and its neighbour Mucurapo could consistently be a failed school. By deliberate design? Failure of every Minister? Or as the narrative states – some people ‘jess cyah learn?’ Or ‘other’ parents care more?
Black Trinbagonians lost control of their own culture to the money makers, but PNM care? Who was in control of the country when artisan history was replaced by the drunken orgy of bikinis and beads?
Who presided over all of it?
I cannot lie, I am glad they are going down this road because ultimately it leads to Eric Williams and the grand lie that is the People’s National Movement.
ALL the change we need in this country begins the moment the lie that PNM cares about black skin is exposed. Because the real emancipation the grandchildren of Africa always needed was to emancipate themselves from the division of identity politics and to turn their backs on the Balisier deception.
That day we will ALL be finally free.
Phillip Edward Alexander