| Beware the temptation of racism and government dependency | | Print | |
| Written by Dhanika Burris — May 25, 2010 |
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Today, while perusing my Facebook news feed, I saw a comment, made by a young person of African descent, that made me cringe. "We come here first." BEWARE. This statement, as simple as it is, has a racial undertone and should not be tolerated. Firstly, it makes slavery seem as though Africans one day decided to take a holiday in the West Indies. We all know this is not what happened. Africans were enslaved and ripped from their home and forced to work. Many of them died on the journey here. Secondly, the statement suggests, that since the Africans came before East Indians, people of African descent have more rights than the other people who live here. People, if you are making a historical statement please know your history. The Amerindians were the first inhabitants of this land — The AmerINDIANS. People forget that this is Trinidad and Tobago. Despite the fact that our forefathers came from Africa, China, Asia, or where ever as children of this country our loyalties lie here — we are Trinbagonian. I cannot and therefore will not allow comments such as "dem feel dem rulin we now" and "niggas fraid now we in power," which increase division. If I hear anyone say anything like "oh gosh dem Indian dem in power again" or "haha dem niggas running scared" I will no longer account you as a friend of mine. I refuse to accept racism in even the slightest measure. Stop the foolishness now! This lack of knowledge brings me to the second issue of people making uninformed statements that are creating panic. Comments such as "GATE gone dey" and "no more HYPE" are just two examples of the many statements being uttered by persons who are obviously hurt. Although these programs are of great help to citizens, the fact that the possible loss (despite the amount of times it has been said that these programs will remain) of these programs is causing this huge panic makes me wonder what has happened to taking personal responsibility for your own improvement? Didn't our parents achieve education without GATE? Didn't our parents find jobs without OJT? Again, although I appreciate these programs, I'm just saying this should not become your sole incentive to learn. Yes the government must help but there are MANY students who attend UWI and skip classes, do not study and party whole night and fail, wasting GATE. There are people who do the trade programs and use the money to buy the latest shoes instead of save. Why? The "why", is what leads me to my final point. Some people (please note I said some), have not been taught to motivate themselves. You can have the world of opportunity but you must be willing. If money is your motivation then this country is doomed. What must we really be doing at this time? As a nation we should concentrate on making things better from the grassroots. What has happened to community responsibility? You do not need the government to start recycling in the community or in your own home. You do not need the government to disciple the young to curb future crime. You do not need the government's help alone to improve the lives of the poor and disabled. People, before being identified by race, name and social standing, we are identified as human. Therefore the human factor comes first. We all bleed red and our duty is to each other. Life is about change and at this moment we are experiencing a transition. However if, after giving this period a chance, we are dissatisfied, we can vote again for something else. All decisions are based on faith and I have faith in the young people like me who can look beyond the propaganda and know that this life is so much bigger than human governance. Therefore I end with: Great is TnT! Great is TnT! And if we are prepared to work as one national body, it shall prevail!
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Comments (50)
Empowerment is the way
written by Karel - Outlish Magazine , May 26, 2010 Dhanika well put. I hope that young people will look to themselves to forge their paths. We need to get away from the culture of "gimme gimme", and seek self-empowerment.
article
written by anonymous , May 26, 2010 i don't think that the person who made that statement didn't know their history and yes the amerindians came here first but i understand that statement to mean that the africans came before the indians and that is true. ever since the introduction of indentureds into caribbean society there has been tension between the two groups and it has transcended through time and that is unfortunate. you refuse to accept racism in the slightest measure but the fact is it exists and just talking about it won't help. something has to be done. you talk about the remarks about GATE, HYPE and OJT and the fact that our parents did without them but you also have to realise that our parents grew up in a different time where job requirements and school fees were less. it is sad that this is how the youth of this nation have responded to election results but they learnt it somewhere(eg.election parties themselves).
I Totally Agree
written by Kadie , May 26, 2010 I agree with you totally! My "so called friends" do the same thing with me. They say that Mr. Manning was being racial against the Indian race when I see nothing wrong. I have never recalled a time that our prime minister was being racial. And last night when the results were out, I must admit that i was afraid to go to school due to the fact that I thought the girls would be racial since we now have an Indian prime minister. But your statement is true and I agree with you!
GATE, HYPE, OJT.
written by concerned. , May 26, 2010 Our parents also grew up without laptops (which Kamla says she's going to give to every child passing SEA) and the Internet. While you may be right, I'm asking you to consider the fact that in those days, you didn't need much to get an OK job. My mum never got the opportunity that I have to be going to University right now, and with the help of GATE, we're both doing our degrees. That's the point of it, to give everyone an equal chance, and there's more and more people coming out of the system, to meet the same number of jobs, which means that employers are going to require a higher level of achievements when recruiting. Some of us can only see it from one perspective. I'm asking that you understand what I'm saying as well, because these are all very valid concerns.
So True.
written by Casei , May 26, 2010 I agree with you 100% People need to open their eyes and see that this could be the beginning of something great for this country. Stop with the racist comments...
hmm....I beg to differ...
written by anonymous13 , May 26, 2010 firstly some people need to know that the Amerindians were not East Indians but were AMERICAN Indians. And about the Gate / OJT thing, politicians lie to get their way so of course they "not taking away GATE and OJT" and all those things and OJT is not a "job" it's Job TRAINING. And about those racist comments...they are just sad really, shows how big people have no kinda behavior.
Commentator
written by Neyr , May 26, 2010 Spot on, Dhanika. Absolutely, spot on. How can we be hypocritical by making assumptions upon a party that hasn't been given a chance while being oblivious to the follies of the former regimes? A chance is all they need. Hasn't the PNM had quite a lot of that?
Check Again
written by Samantha , May 26, 2010 I agree with the second commentor. Programs like GATE and OJT help so many people these days. Plus if you check it out most GATE programs have polocies that require you to pass a certain amount of subjects to continue. So there are no room for slackers, they dont last. Things of the past when our parents were young were cheaper, these programs are there to make times easier for the future of Trinidad, the youths. We are trying to go forward not go back. What is going to be achieved by cutting these programs? Also racism is being seen from all races not just African or Indian.It doesnt matter who was here first because none of us were, the animals were, also the plants read your bible, you'll see. You saying that the Indians were here first is not helping in your point against racism, its just saying that the guy's racist statement was wrong. True we do not need to always depend so strongly on the government BUT we give them the power to do what is best for us. You seem to be forgetting that the government is put in place to service us to the best of their ability, so is not in our right to take advantage of that? IF not why should we stain our finger to put them where they are? Your article is well written and I understand what you are trying to say but you focused on all the negative aspects. What about the kids who work to empower themselves, that are well motivated but do not have the money to fund their dreams? what about them? Are they supposed to be left in the cold with those who doesnt want to learn? For what? Please explain these things to me....
Indeed!
written by John , May 26, 2010 Racialism exists yes, and even though talking about it alone won't help, that which must be done, must be done by the citizens, not the Government alone, which is what Dhanika is saying. Even though our parents lived in a different time, where the fees were less, no GATE or HYPE or OJT, doesn't mean the end of the world. This article was very well written. People must see this change in governance as an incentive to change within themselves. Problems such as crime stem from bad parenting and the media, littering is also the fault of the people. I am not saying all problems are the fault of the people, but that if the people change within each individual household, and throw their support behind the government, regardless of ethnicity. I would be a great help!
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written by Chantal , May 26, 2010 yes it is tru that all racial comments are frowned upon bt dt's nt gonna stop d fact dt it has increased amongst our ppl...n d GATE n HYPE n OJT are incentives to work harder which is a gd ting bt it's nt only cuz of bein an incentive we prefer dt it stays bt it is much easier on our parents and us 2 further our education...dese programs make it easier 4 us 2 be successful in life
Not readY !
written by Vanessa , May 26, 2010 racism exits not onli in poltics but evn in other aspects of our lives. I am just saying that it is good that Kamla is the 1st woman prime minister BUT she is simply not readi ! she needs more time to further understand how our nation operates ! if u realli studied your history you would see that Patrick Manning did not become Prime Minster in a few months.. because Kamla was not in opposition for long! she needed more time to prepare for this because running our country is not looking for a job in OJT or HYPE ! this is a serious matter ! dont get me wrong.. i am realli happy for her but she just need more time !
Agree
written by Isabella De Bonteux , May 26, 2010 Very well, because I woke up this morning and the disrespectful remarks dat were made by a lot of persons were utterly disgusting. While I do agree, didn't neccessarily fathom the line amerINDIAN, because it was the name givin by the navigators when the thought they had found the route to INDIA, thereby deeming the CARIBbean (also named out of context) the west INDIES. And if I see someone use the use creole out of its context again I will burst according to history it is Cre·ole (krl) n. 1. A person of European descent born in the West Indies or Spanish America. 2. a. A person descended from or culturally related to the original French settlers of the southern United States, especially Louisiana. b. The French dialect spoken by these people. Neger the german/french word meaning black (obsolete today for obvious reasons) Coolie(ethnic slur) an offensive name for an unskilled Asian laborer. So be educated, be informed and be thy brothers and sisters keepers above all. Trinidad and Tobago is less than none and still better off than most.
NONSENSE!!!
written by Hadassah Gomez , May 26, 2010 this article had good intentions but terribly put over!! i agreed with the part about racism and i too must admit i uttered some racial slurs in the heat of my loss and i am truly regretful for it!! HOWEVER the part about these social programs not being necessary seems like B.S to me (for lack of a better phrase)!!! u making excuses already as to why the new government does not necessarily need to continue the good that the previous government started in terms of education and employment!!! u hearing yourself darling!! i'm embarrassed u actually found it worthy to voice this crap! another thing u talk about us not having reason to be concerned about the future of certain programs as kamla promised their continuation! its nothing new for politicians to make promises before being elected and never materializing them whilst in office! i appreciate your hopefulness but we have a right to be APPREHENSIVE!!!
Huh?
written by Artemis , May 26, 2010 Firstly, AmerINDIANS???? They were not East Indians so your emphasis on them was slightly uncalled for. I understand the point you were trying to make but the Amerindians were NOT Indian in the sense your CAPS meant. Secondly, Africa, China, Asia? Were you being redundant or were you specifically trying to leave out India? Because last time I checked China was a part of Asia. Personally, I don't believe that there will be any true change. Kamla is a puppet and just like the last time our hard earned tax payers money is going to be squirreled away into Swiss bank accounts while the rest of us suffer to make ends meet. We don't need a "new" party with old faces, or a woman Prime Minister who's just a figurehead for supporters. We need a completely NEW party with YOUNG and NEW faces, not the same old geezers squabbling for power. When that happens I'll vote again.
race relations
written by Denicia Knutt , May 26, 2010 very true statements we are to dependent on other ppl to determine or destiny yes without GATE the road to educating ourselves would be more challenging but it is not impossible, i also believe that race relations would be strained as a result of few ignorant ppl in our society but we the sane majority must reprimand those misguided few. I however would point out that any party that has that much seats in parliment is a threat to our democracy because they can easily change aspects of out constituition which require a special major so while change is great there is still pros and cons in every government .
...
written by girlie , May 26, 2010 i agree with evryone who's saying that GAT HYPE and d OJT thing benefitting ppl, cuz is true.still doh, if u not legal to vote, doh arge bout it na!! o gosh!! WHO SAY UNCOPNM!!!
Its not government dependency
written by Mi3 , May 26, 2010 Dhanika GATE is not our only incentive to learn because if it was then the universities would be over flowing with students and even today that is not the case. GATE its not an incentive its an opportunity! An opportunity my parents and ancestors worked hard for day after day, year after year and tax after tax! So we are not reaping the benefits. As we all know education and job requirements in our parents and grandparents times were different so the statements of "Didn't our parents achieve education without GATE?" and "Didn't our parents find jobs without OJT?" does not hold or make much sense. Also GATE is a means of National Development because to improve a country's status from '3rd world' to 'developed status' or even '1st world', a percentage of the population had to be at a educational level. In essence a government's responsibility is to care, govern and develop its nationals which gives rise to the social programs.
My 2cents
written by Esther Dafna , May 26, 2010 Let me first begin by congratulating Dhanika on an objective, well written, tactful article. Let me now proceed to clear up some misconceptions that I have identified while reading the comments of the article. I do not know what some of our young electorate population were doing during the 90s but clearly some neglected to keep up with the then current events and spent far too much time watching pokemon (my apologies for being seemingly harsh). Does "Panorama" ring a bell anyone? We all know that politicians do make pie-crust promises; easily made, easily broken; but where is the hype and panic of the closing of GATE stemming from? Especially when the Coalition stated on several occassions that they were not going to stop it? In the 90s when oil was $9 a barrel (ah fed up tell dis story), the government of the day was able to pay 50% of the tuition for University students, as well as undertake the development of major Works operations throughout the island. At the age of 6 I remember traffic backed up for miles along the Naparima Mayaro road, during the July/August vacation of 1996 due to the building of bridges (removing the old wooden ones, precariously 'hinged' over rivers, that my grand-nennen probably used) and paving roads that had been in a state of disrepair since the 60s. So why now, with the high price received for oil will this change? Logically speaking..wouldn't the government only stop the funding if there is a need and a critical financial crisis?...unless there is one. But didn't the out-going PM state that there is no problem to be had? And if there is a problem, why did projects such as "Tsunami shelter-on flat-flood-prone-land" continue? Would a government today,in a time when the UN is adamant about equal human rights amongst all creeds,even dare to be racial against its own people? I am not campaigning for any political party mind you, because the PNM administration has done a lot for our country and I have benefitted in several ways during their tenure, so has my family. I am not jumping on the band-wagon of the "anti-Manning tongue-waggers". I agree that they made several mistakes, but which government on the face of the planet hasn't? We look for perfection in others when we can hardly expect ourselves to make decent judgements at times. The honourable Patrick Manning, PM elect Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Mr. Basdeo Panday, Sir ANR Robinson all have one thing in common...they belong to the human race. Along with this comes the intelligences as well as the faults associated with it. No one can expect the other to be the epitome of perfection. Mistakes are made, and that is no crime. The malady exists when we do not learn from them. About the whole "Indian ruling; Niggas running" excerpt the writer spoke of....ummmm...last time I checked Jack Warner was no 'dulaha' (or however its spelt). I am of mixed heritage and have dear friends whose race matters to me as much as the type of shoes they wear (and I'm quite ok with my bootleg pumas).We are falling into the trap that the early colonists laid when they feared that the unity between the races would breed rebellion. "Divide and rule" so that each sees the other as the "enemy" and hence diverting the attention away from the ACTUAL oppressors. Why can't we look past race in the rulership of our country? Go down to any random cemetery and pick out what weed grew from an Indian or Negro grave.Does the quality differ? When death greets you and you meet your Maker, ask Him which people He made first, so as to place dibs as to which corner in heaven you will occupy (that is if chance should have it that the Lord winks upon the spewed ignorance of a lifetime). As educated young people (I should hope so because of all the GATE concerns), think before you pipe unfounded fears, biases and untruths....Now..does it really matter whether you came through the Middle Passage or on the Fatel Rozack?
reply to my 2 cents!
written by Hadassah Gomez , May 26, 2010 whilst i agree that while the country wasnt as prosperous under that UNC and they were able to pay 50% of people's tuition the statistics clearly stated that the number of people going to university then DRASTICALLY increased from the people going now!!!! thats because not much people could have afforded the other 50% i think that u have a very naive hopes!! u claim that the coalition promised to keep these programs HELLO!!!!! people have a right to be scared! we knew 4 sure our education was guaranteed under the PNM but we not sure if the new government would continue as she promised! a promise is not as tangible!!! and reading over the comments about GATE not being totally necessary making my head hurt!! u sober hun?? u hearing yourself babes! how much poor people who want to go to university and want to study cant afford to pay tuition?? maybe your parents who got jobs and education without these programs had parents with strings and money! not everyone is as fortunate!! u sounding rather selfish people and i would have congratulated the article had it made sense! had it been objective!! had it been in the interest of the poor people of our country! otherwise no hun!!! rethink your statements!!!!
My Reply
written by dhanib , May 26, 2010 I am grateful for all the comment because this is what I wanted. I wanted a conversation to be sparked and I wanted people to speak what they felt. So now let me reply. First of all my emphasis with the Amerindian statement was just to attack those who seem to have a phobia against the word Indian. I assure you I know they were not East Indians. Secondly I think the biggest problem you guys had was the fact that I talked about the social programs. I NEVER said we should not have them...I'm in UWI, I'm no where near rich and I benefit from gate. What I was saying...but probably did not say well was that EVEN without it, youths should have other sources of motivation to want to learn. Thirdly: Yes I will make references to the future PM's promises because we elect base on faith. Faith in words and hope that they germinate into actions. ANY and EVERY political party began with promises and when elected it was due to the population believing in these promises. So to tell me I'm talking nonsense should be reconsidered. You can disagree but show respect and come correct. Next- I never said GATE was EVERYONE'S only incentive to want to learn. Clearly not because if you talk to me you would know that I have so many plans and hopes for my country. I do know of MANY motivated persons and I highlighted the negatives because the negatives were what I chose to address. This is after all an opinion piece and my opinion was fueled by the aftermath of the elections. Additionally my comment about our parents. What we call cheap now was just as expensive to them as education is for us now in terms of what they valued as cheap and expensive at that time. And all I was trying to say was that if they did it and persevered then we could too if this government failed to hold up their promises. I never said I would support if she did drop the programs. I never said that social programs are not important and I never said the PNM's work should be disregarded. As for whether you think she will lead well or not was not my focal point here. My focus was on the fact that at the end of the day we are one. We are human and humans survive. I am not saying we should return to the stone age or nothing like that I was ONLY saying in an elaborate way that we should remember that before everything else we are human and we can help each other survive. As for other discrepancies mentioned like the China Africa Asia, that was just simply a mistake on my part. Nothing more and I apologize. As for the origin of the words and what not I was fully aware but will try not to use words too loosely next time. For those who agreed I'm glad. And for those who didn't I appreciate the honesty and I hope no one felt as though they wasted their time listening to my opinion. God bless.
in response to the author
written by grateful young woman , May 26, 2010 I fully agree that we shouldn't boil our politics down to race.. because it is not about that...its about which government has the best interest of its people in mind.. and not just for themselves.. What people need to realize.. is that you can lead a horse to water.. u can't force him to drink.. the infrastructure put in place by the government was to serve its people.. what do u expect them to do next..start brainwashing people into doing it, wake them up in d morning like mom used to do and say well its time to make better for yourself?? Trinbagonians (generally speaking) should be able to want to do better.. if they don't.. its because they are completely satisfied with the life they are living.. What the previous government sought to do was provide a better life for those that were motivated enough to go out and get it, js thnk abt hw it would look if the PM said.. well i would give you funding.. but i'm not going to give you.. people would have found ways to criticize that too.. which would show that you can't please everyone. what the prev govt has done for its people goes beyond GATE and OJT and all of the other educational programs (including trade courses), it went into the health sector as well... a lot of people i know have been benefiting from the medication programs.. and many other programs that the general public would not know about.. my concern is whether or not.. these programs would still be easily acceptable to everyone.. and not just those who are financially fit enough to access them... and it is hard for me to see us go back to the dollar for dollar days, where there are a lot of people that would still catch their skins to get a dollar for the govt to match it with.. though honestly i'm not happy about the results of this election.. i do wish the winning party well cause in the end of the day, it affects everyone
Understanding
written by Alex Hill , May 26, 2010 People before you go off on trivial errors such as being redundant or capital letters in improper places. Please try to understand the message being put forward. Well i believe the first point is quiet clear, stop the racism. i believe throughout the history of black people on this earth, we have endured racism, we have fought against it and to now impose your racist sentiments on other people is just pulling yourslef back. Regardless of whether you believe the other race is racist against you; by you dishing out the very meal you're being served isn't solving anything, it only perpetuautes the problem. And for a nation of people who voted for a 2020 vision wherein we are classified as a "developed nation", just know that a developed nation is not merely world class buildings and billion dollar highways, it also incorporates a development in they way we think. And to still hold racist beliefs after reaching this far, is far from falling within the concept of "develop nation status". so as they say: "rise above the influence". Secondly, the idea that important social programs such as GATE and OJT being cut is highly ridiculous and political suicide and i personally think UNC would've learnt that given their previous loss when they took such action. Yes politicians make promises and break them, but a gov't is also meant to help develop our human capital, and cutting such vital programs which facilitate this process would only take us backward. furthermore i don't think Dhanika is hinting at a justification of GATE and OJT etc. being cut, rather simply stating that people before us did without GATE and even now there are individuals that have it and waste it. Thirdly, the subject of relying on your gov't. Given that a Gov't's job is to ensure an increase in the std of living within a nation, i would agree that there is and must be some measure of reliance on your gov't. Because if there wasnt need for a reliance, they(gov't) would be pointless. HOWEVER, i also believe there are some people who rely to heavily on Governments. to the point of believing that once a gov't is elected all their problems are solved, IT JUST DOESN'T WORK LIKE THAT. As such i would always implore people to never lean to heavily on any gov't; thus, ensuring their future is not fashioned solely by the gov't...i have a sayin "reliance on imperfection which cannot be controlled leads to destruction". take it exactly for what it says. given that we are human and anything thing we create will not be perfect given that we are not perfect oursleves, a Gov't by that belief always has the opportunity for failure. as such if they fail and you relied too heavily on them for you advancement, you by extension will fail in that end. People must understand no Gov't should shape their future, no gov't should direct thier lives, we do that. governments are merely the facilitators to ensure the directions we choose are not to our detriment. thus they provide the necessary avenues(gate, ojt etc); because in the end, we choose whether we go university, we choose whether we want a job. therefore its the gov't's job to provide a means for us to make those choices as well as ensuring each choice made is beneficial to the nation as a whole....
Furthermore
written by dhanib , May 26, 2010 Thank you Alex for capturing the ESSENCE of what I was really trying to say. I just wanted to add that it is being implied that I don't have the interest of the poor at heart and all of that. The majority of my articles have been based on people who do not share the same lifestyle I do and my understanding of different social situations is evident in the very friends I keep. This article like I said was based on something else...racism and that we are human and I spoke about GATE and the social programs because the threat of them being lost has added fuel to the very racist comments I abhor. I spoke about them not existing only to emphasize that if the government fails to uphold its promises we would be pissed but until the next elections or a vote of no confidence or what not....we would survive because others have. I needed to reiterate this statement because I feel a slight disrespectful tone here and there and I don't see the need for it when we all claim here to be benefiting from education. We can have differences in opinion...you can hate the article...and you could just say that and why...but the assumptions about me and my intentions I will not accept...I am here to reply so ask a question and I will answer it and we can agree to disagree and move on. But do not ASSUME you have me summed up because you misinterpreted what I said. Peace and love!
Well said...
written by Laura-Lee , May 26, 2010 Many people based who they were supporting on race and tradition and it's sad. These people now expecting the worse because their party didn't win! All these comments need to go...we all know it's true not all promises are met, but give the woman a chance not everything will happen one time and everyone has their faults no party will be perfect it was just time to see what someone else can do. And finally yes at the end of the day it's up to the attitude of the citizens to make things better in the country NO POLITICAL PARTY can entirely fix crime, pollution and the numbers of educated persons in the country! We need to get up and help ourselves and in hand help them do their job. People always remember that we should pray for our country, its heads and the citizens too bad words won't make things any better!
reply to "my 2 cents!".. part 2 lol
written by coal pot , May 26, 2010 bravo to Esther's comment.. and my acknowledgements to the writer of this article. The issue of racism in Trinidad and Tobago will perpetuate.. as well as in any other diverse nation such as ours.. The mere coexistence of these diverse groups allows for some sort of tension to uprise.. so the various comments noted on facebook statuses... or so forth.. did not come as a shock to me.. and should not have for anyone else.. as well as the racial comments said last election didn't come as a shock back then!! My only concern is that the writer failed to analyse or even make simple acknowledgements of racist comments from any other groups.... now i am a person of mixed heritage... level coal pot... i comin' 2 you from all over the world here... so bias i am not... i just need to point out that people's views on another party, individual, or ethnic group sprouts from individual perception or experience.. the reason why those of African descent see those of Indian descent as "conniving or power hungry" and the reason why Indians see Africans as "lazy and worthless" come from their own experiences with each other or experiences related to them from parents, friends etc. (such as sabotage to gain better grades, owning a vast majority of wealth as well as the violence and "slackin off," single mothers on the other end) and we are all aware that this relationship stems from the plantation days.. colonial days so forth... and the statement the young man/woman made stating "we come here first" is a simple example of how each group evidently looks out for their own kind or seeks to uplift themselves in some way... as well as a comment i heard las election statin "i cah let no nigga run me"... it's always a competition.. trinis being unified continues to be textbooked... since we live in a fragile society (as seen with this election).... and may i even draw reference to racial screening! the whole issue that may even have something to do with the 'fear' instilled in some of these people...None of this goes to show that i accept racism from any group to another.. (i feel utterly degraded and disappointed at the remarks...) but simply just highlights that i understand that peoples accusations have some backround to it... Now moving on... I am 17 years old... not eligible to vote.. as well as i refuse to show any hints as to which party i prefer or supported during the election since i have both good and bad to say about both...however the whole issue of "GATE"... sprouted from certain incidents that took place in history.. such as the oppositions comments on it's existence about it being somewhat worthless and senseless since people don't fulfill their contracts bla bla bla... now a person well aware of these comments will obviously have a hard time believing that the same persons who ridiculed the programs have suddenly decided to accept it... it's too much to ask for people to trust that easily.. but at the same time... we don't know.. only time will tell.. so we shall wait and see what happens to GATE.. what happens to any other program that we fear will be ignored. I also agree to some extend about the comment made that our parents as well as grandparents had no gate or ojt but still achieved great things.. however one must realise that things HAVE changed... we no longer live in donkey cart days.. this is 2010... education is vital... as well as long ago poor people found it hard as well to get a proper education.. GATE solves the problem of this poverty issue that remained to exist up until its implementation (gate that is)..... i talk all over the place i understand lol.. but you get what i trying to say more or less.. and for a comment made earlier about crime.. i wanna commend them for THINKING... crime lies mainly on the shoulders of the population.. and we as a people should try to do as much as we can to aid whatever government... not only on the issue of crime.. but everything... instead of ridicule them because of their undertones or type of hair! or any other reason!!.. mr patrick manning has done a lot for Trinidad and Tobago.. and i pay my respects to him by not judging, and accepting the fact that perfection exists within no human being.. mistakes are always made.. governing a country is not a easy task!... and i also have high hopes for our new prime minister to try her best to make trinidad and tobago the "kind of place we want it to be" and also recognising that she will too make mistakes.. which i also will be willing to forgive... if she stops gate and ojt... there will be chaos... so i dont think she'll be so hard headed too... cuz the poor people are the majority.. they WILL make noise... just let's give her a chance and see what she makes of it :)
racism
written by Samantha , May 26, 2010 The effects of the plantation owners.... who thought that the Negroes where strong but lazy because they wanted more money and the Indians were industrious but greedy. They planted this in our minds and up to this day we still view each other with suspicion and and believe the lies. Racism is stupid and if anyone that is a racist is plain stupid....
Coal Pot
written by dhanib , May 26, 2010 Waw! You being only 17years old with this level of understanding and rationality deserves major props and I do take into account that I only mentioned the two races because again it was what I personally experienced. It what what I experienced that made me write the article and I wanted others to come hear and talk about their own observances and so on and so forth as I could only account for me. Peace
disappointed
written by Jamila , May 26, 2010 if there's one thing i'm sure we can all agree upon is dat racism exists within trinidad it has been dis way for generations n although we should nt accept racial comments as d norm raacism is a problem that cannot be solved overnight because racism is a state of mind n with regards to d comments on GATE and the other social programs i must agree with persons who said you sounded selfish....readin those comments i thought u wud nt hav made dem if u were one of the thousands of ppl who can't even afford to think about obtaining a tertiary education without such programs and to reiterate wat many persons b4 me hav said obtaining a job in the times of our parents was alot easier an required a lot less academic achievement..i must agree dat there are a lot of uwi students who do nt take dere eeducation seriously and as such a lot of money is wasted on them bt this is not our fault....it is d responsibilty of our governement to appoint persons to monitor these programs in such a way that persons abusing the system are removed frm them whilst persons actually interested in furtherin themselves continue to benefit....another point, stressin onn the word indians in Amerindians was completely irrelevant as the indians dt were brought to the Caribbean as indentured labourers are in no way concerned with d natives...finally ppl have every right to be worried this country has a history of governments who make promises which they fail to so who's to say this government will be any different after all d politians haven't changed dey've jus been given new titles which essentially means nothing
racism is always wrong
written by iron lion zion , May 26, 2010 But if you only have love for your own race Then you only leave space to discriminate And to discriminate only generates hate And when you hate then you're bound to get irate, yeah Madness is what you demonstrate And that's exactly how anger works and operates Man, you gotta have love just to set it straight Take control of your mind and meditate Let your soul gravitate to the love, y'all, y'all
Okay
written by dhanib , May 26, 2010 Well it hurts to know that I have been thus viewed as selfish and blind to the poor and all that since that was the furthest thing from my mind. But I have already explained myself and you will never please everyone...heck you may only please one. This was not an objective piece...it was an opinion. And not everyone agrees with your opinion and without knowing me it is easy to assume and so I rest. Thank you iron lion zion for that excerpt from Where is the Love...and thank you all for even reading the article. The point was to generate discussion and that goal has been achieved. God bless.
WORD!!!!!!
written by ABI , May 26, 2010 Well done Ms.Dhanika. I think everyone who misinterpreted what u were saying should read what Alex wrote. Indeed he really captured the ESSENCE of your much valued opinion. KEEP ON PENNING YOUR THOUGHTS!!!! GOD BLESS YOU!!!
umm hmmm
written by jay jay , May 26, 2010 first of all the indian in amerindian as u highlighted does not mean indian as in east indians! these are the tribes of the amerindians: Carib Arawak Warao Akawaio Arekuna Macusi Patamona Waiwai Wapisiana so maybe u shud do ur research...the fact that u have even brought this into ur text seemed to be borderlining racism...so dont try to calm a situation by inciting another...at the end of the day as u rightfully said we are all from trinidad and tobago ... we are not indians or africans or otherwise as we were not born in those countries...we need to stop playing the ass! and just to add gate must hype and ojt have kept many young persons out of trouble and made some better individuals as a matter of fact they are motivated after their experiences at an ojt so for u to see it as a hand out is mind-blowing! and gate is especially important to those who cannot afford tertiary education although mrs persad bissessar made no mention of ending these programmes. so when persons see it fit to comment on politics vs citizens they must first get their facts in order to make a more sensible contribution...ur heart was in the right place but ur words...hmmm!
Less crticism folks...she has a solid point!
written by Miss - Leading , May 26, 2010 Stamp of APPROVAL for having a stalwart opinion Dhanika! I was about to share my opionin on what I got from the piece, but I think you covered most, if not all of it in your various responses. The article is exceedingly appropriate. After witnessing MANY testimonials of racist comments on fb as well, I understand where you're coming from with this one. Big up yourself! It's a great article.
right on
written by Atiya , May 26, 2010 I absolutely agree with u dhanika...young ppl taking this race thing too far...we are never goin to get anywhere if ppl continue this race talk and some of them just repeating what their parents are sayin and don't really know the impact their statements could have upon other people...I also loved what you said about the GATE and OJT and so on...the individuals who are complaining about it goin to be shut down because of the change in government need to think before they speak...and u rightly said that their are ppl who are wastin the gate priviledge...overall the youth need to check themselves because if this racial behaviour is what they wanna carry on with then god help trinidad and tobago
Waw
written by dhanib , May 26, 2010 I really really really didn't want to say anything but borderline racist?! Are you all serious? This really hurting me now...I only put the word in caps to highlight the word Indian just as sarcasm to those who seem to fear the word. Again...I NEVER dismissed the social programs. I go to UWI and I have gate and without it I dont know if I would be in school so how dear anyone tell me I dont get it. ALL I said was that SOME take it for granted and I only used the programs in the first place because they were points raised by persons pushing the racist comments...please I prefer u say you didn't like how I phrased something. But do not, disgrace me a I have, since I know myself been nothing but pro-elevation and against prejudice and making it my purpose to speak to and genuinely appreciate and understand all walks of life. Some of you getting very personal and since I know and people who know me know that this is so far from who I am this accusations you are making it hurts. I do not regret putting the article hear but the everything mentioned was geared solely toward cracking down on what had disturbed me where racism is concerned. We can write an article on the necessity of social programs, on why the poor must be elevated and give statistics on how that process has been occurring but that was simply just NOT my objective. Those are sub-plots to the main plot of my article. I can't explain myself anymore than that...I dont need you to like the article but DO NOT make these wrong assumptions about me...suggest how I could have made the article better...help me do not ridicule me...waw...just waw...
Forward ever backward never!
written by Britts , May 26, 2010 As Trinidadians we have a rich history & a mixture of races. Racism disgusts me!!! We do not live in India or Africa but TRINIDAD!! Some people need to change the way they think and realize that we are all equal despite the different colours of our skin. Cut your skin- do you see green or blue blood??? No! It's the same... We all have red blood. So yes Dhanika we need to work as a national body especially now more than ever...
The BANANA REPUBLIC mentality
written by Safiya Reid , May 27, 2010 This article could not have been more apt and sound. There's a very THICK line between ETHNICITY and NATIONALITY. The last time I checked, Manning and Kamla are both TRINBAGONIANS. This upsurge of racism within our population only gives testimony to The BANANA REPUBLIC mentality that continues to keep us firmly rooted to THIRD WORLDISM. MOVE AWAY FROM RACIST ATTITUDES FOR A BETTER TOMORROW. Well done Dhanika.
I Agree
written by Abiola Lewis , May 27, 2010 Firstly i completely agree wit evrything said, is really time for racism to stop it ridiculous now but the name amerINDIANS was given by Columbus cuz he thought he was in INDIA the correct name is INDIGENOUS PEOPLE.
To those who cannot accept change.
written by Look_at_allyuh_ppl_Sigh , May 27, 2010 Racists, Political non-dynamists, historical idiots. We live in a DEMOCRATIC NATION. Democracy is the voice of the people. The elections is the tool with which we make our voice heard. The results are exceedingly clear who the people have elected as their PREFERENTIAL ruling party. If we analyse the historical data, the vote distribution have almost consistently been a 50-50% share between the 2 major parties, compared to this elections 30 - 70%. Clearly this landslide victory for the People's Partnership IS what the mass majority of the country CHOSE. And with slight reservation, I can say that it has nothing to do with Race, but rather the chain of consistently bad decisions made by the previous ruling party, its poor performance and its total disregard for the population voice. For all those who shout racism! for all those who are still attached to the previous government, i say to you, Loosen up! racism is the mentality of yesteryear. There is no great nation that has a static government- a.k.a dictatorship. Democracy embraces dynamism, change. That is the beauty of it. Change allows everything to grow and evolve. Change is the force of prosperity. Those who cannot embrace change gets filtered out. Survival of the fittest, Natural selection, those who can adapt to changing times move on to prosper. So for all those who like static governments, I say to you, loosen up man! Such is life. Move on. Now for you people who argue your historical jibberish about who came first, CARIBbean, AMERI(CAN)indian, amerINDIAN. Just shut up and not make yourself sound more ignorant than you truly are, go study your Caribbean History CSEC. Your ancestors were all tricked into coming here, who ever cam first second or third. And thanks to that trickery, YOU are not part of the Kashmir death toll, or running the African savanna. You are a proud citizen of the Republic Of Trinidad and Tobago, writing its history with your own hands. Its up to you what you want to write.
Do you realise we ALL agree?(reply to my 1st reply lol)
written by Esther Dafna , May 27, 2010 Reading and re-reading these comments has clearly made to realise that we ALL want the same thing, but are simply discussing from different vantage points. Everyone hates racism. No one wants to feel as though their people, their way of life, their opinions, their HERITAGE is under threat...however, when things do not go our way, we identify the "alien" among us and presecute. I'm speaking from both sides..or maybe I should say all sides since this is not an exclusive Afro-Indo 'war' if you will. I realise that to couple readers, my point with regards to the 'dollar-for-dollar' programme wasn't well received...or maybe well understood. I'm not here to instruct in comprehension...but I shall further elucidate. Simply put: very little income -ie $9 per barrel = 50% tuition....very high income ie high oil prices undoubtedly >$9 = full tuition. Hence, no need to cut GATE. So why of all government programmes is GATE (and youth programmes) to be threatened. I'm looking at the source of this propaganda. The partnership never mentioned anything about cutting until said propaganda was spread that they would indeed cut it, and then that was only to clear up matters. The threat of GATE being cut began since during the Summit of the Americas under the last administration, when people thought elections were approximately 3yrs away. Read the newspapers (or at least glance it). During the credit-crunch the PNM administration was indeed considering cutting the GATE at that point in time, particularly after CLICO went under. People!..the Guardian is not for style.However, they did not, because if they did an inquiry into the Treasury would have been in full effect since the claimed capital, and inability to pay tuition would not have coincided...(also take a browse through the parliament channel). I am not saying that we should do without it..like Dhanika I AM AT UWI!...benefitting from GATE.I am not saying go back to scrunting season..I'm simply saying that there is no basis to found such fears. Furthermore, by saying that one party could keep programmes and the other cannot just demonstrates your lack of faith in a government to deliver before they have had the chance to prove themselves. And if people want to get all political...why didn't the last administration introduce GATE during the oil-boom of the early 90s when THEY were in power? I didn't want to go that road because it gives the illusion that I'm anti-PNM. On the contrary..I am pro-good leadership. the PNM has done a wealth of good, but also bad and we cant just paint everything as either black or white...and I refer to both the PNM and the UNC. Back to a point I made in my first comment..they are human..they make mistakes. This isn't even the point I was trying to make initially...and it's quite frustrating to simplify further so here I shall stop. I felt as though I should address the writer of the first reply to my comment because I was particularly offended by a rather undiplomatic statement made, in a setting of peaceful discussion and not of antagonism...and I quote..."maybe your parents who got jobs and education without these programs had parents with strings and money! not everyone is as fortunate!!"....my both parents grew up in rural settings (where might I add, "certain ruling bodies" never cared a pig's eye about these areas until walk-about campaigning during elections)....they both grew up working the land, along with their family. They got sustainable jobs in the teaching service by working hard and neither waiting for Dr. Eric Williams nor the Union Jack to rake them out of poverty. My mom in particular, hired herself out as a house-keeper at the age of 14 through 18 at 25 cents a day to pay for her Cambridge exams..one by one.With an absentee father, and frustrated mother inclined to destructive behaviours, she pulled through. When she finally got the subjects, she applied to the teaching service...and got through...So please (I apologise in advance for being callous), do not be jumping to conclusions like an over-zealous kangaroo, making assumptions that everyone who made something of themselves had strings to pull, when some grasped at straws and got where they were going successfully through One who needs you to pull NO STRINGS. But again this is not the point....the point is 3% of your genetic makeup accounts for race...only 3%....and that's quite a miniscule amount to wage a holocaust on each other.
Totally Agree!
written by Jhen , May 28, 2010 Firstly, I want to say well done Dhanika for writing such a great article and finally being up front and saying some about this. I myself have a big problem with racism and don't get why people see it necessary to profess that they are a certain race and apparently better than another race. Honestly, most of us in this country are mixed, including myself, and I can't even begin to list all the different ethnic groups I'm composed of. As I always say I am callaloo :) But all in all, she is right in saying that we are all Trinbagonian and not Indian or African cause when we go to another country and someone asks what's your nationality or where you are from, you say I'm from Trinidad and Tobago not Africa or India or even China! In response to the GATE thing....like it has been said by many, it was never said that GATE or any program was going to be stopped and yes we know that it helps and makes it easier to achieve but we need to stop complaining in this country and start counting some of our blessing. Yes, there are many problems here but we are still a lot better off than many, many other countries and I believe the only way we can truly all achieve as a people is if we start trying to improve it ourselves. So there isn't much the Government can do to alleviate crime if we don't try as a people to do something ourselves and I know people do try, I'm not coming down on that, I'm just saying that we should start working together as a nation to solve our problems and stop waiting for others to do it for us.
Circular motion
written by ambassador , June 01, 2010 Embodied in the Charter of the United Nations and the Declaration of Human Rights lie the principles of equality and non-discrimination. Based on the comments to Dhanika's article, I can see that we all value these principles, and rightly so as they are also embedded in the Constitution of this great nation. However, I feel that while this issue is of such grave importance, this discussion can now be compared to a revolving door. It is sad to see us as young people miss the mark once again, we have done just what we criticize governments of doing, focusing on personal attacks rather than the issues; the intent behind the article was to spark intellectual curiousity and promote open discussion. I commend you Dhanika for this; it is high time that we realize that peace can be achieved only through understanding which comes about from looking at an issue from all points of view. Let us not digress from an issue of national importance to nitpick about trivialities. Let us recollect our thoughts on the issue at hand, keep the discussion going, encouraging opinions, but remembering to respect each others' human dignity. We are all God's children!
I thank you
written by dhanib , June 01, 2010 Thank you very much ambassador, and apart from the few instances where things went out of hand EVERYONE'S opinion held some logic, importance and I am glad they were able to express themselves as what the goal.
Hmmmm SMH, that is all I can do..
written by Djay , August 14, 2010 When i started to read this article, I thought it was very excellent work, but your opinion on GATE, OJT etc. is very bias and it reaks. How can you make a comparison between your fore parents and people of today. Please do proper research on this topic before making wild statements, remember your readers hold you accountable for what you say!!!
hmmm indeed
written by dhanib , August 21, 2010 I stand beside my comments 100% because I was speaking about specific scenarios- about SOME people. I never said that these programs were not cherished by some and helped them with their social mobility. Also, the part where I spoke about our parents, it was to assure that IF these things are taken away it would not mean that people cannot succeed. Will it be harder? Yes but not impossible. Just wanted to clear that up but you are not forced to agree with me hence this article is under the OPINION section. And since OPINIONS include both SUBJECTIVE and OBJECTIVE DATA or sometimes only SUBJECTIVE, I did not expect everyone to agree. Thank you
hmmm indeed
written by dhanib , August 21, 2010 If you read all the times I commented to people thus far, and if you read the fact that i was referring to SOME persons use of the programs...and IF you realized that i was just saying that without these programs, though it may be hard we could still achieve...then I'm sorry you feel how you feel. But this is an opinion piece...which involves SUBJECTIVE DATA...hence you are not meant to agree with everything I say because opinions change. God bless Write comment
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