Archive for April, 2007

Why We Never Learn

Tuesday, April 17th, 2007

I again refer to this article by BC Pires:

“The West Indies cricket team is only a symptom (even if the most glaring) of a Caribbean malaise, and not its cause. There may be all sorts of hope but there really is no reason for the team to do well when everything else in the region is failing spectacularly.

In Trinidad, the Prime Minister is in a quandary over whether to begin fresh impeachment proceedings against the Chief Justice, after the criminal prosecution of the same CJ (for allegedly trying to influence the outcome of a criminal prosecution of yet another former prime minister) was abandoned when the Chief Magistrate, upon whose gratuitous accusations the criminal charges were laid, simply refused to give evidence, preferring to wait for the impeachment proceedings; it puts Bradshaw’s declining to bend over to pick up a ball in proper perspective: with West Indian exemplars (see observations relating to the words, “incredibly”, “management” and “team”) behaving so, is it any wonder that Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo and Ramnaresh Sarwan have no real grasp on what is really at stake?”

…to make a point about today’s disturbing Trinidad Guardian lead story:.

“The young woman was before the court charged with neglect of her murdered four-year-old baby daughter Emily Amy Annamunthodo. However, when Annamunthodo re-appeared in the First Court before Wellington yesterday, he dismissed the case, on the grounds that on each occasion the matter was called the complaint, PC Marcelle Hamilton, was absent. Wellington also said no prosecution witnesses were in court whenever the matter came up for hearing, and no State attorney had been appointed to the case since the charges were laid last year.”

BC’s point still holds firm, but forget the West Indies Cricket Team. Is this how much we value our children?

Calling a Spade a Spade

Monday, April 16th, 2007

Apparently, there’s been an “issue” surrounding this commentary from BC Pires on the performance of the West Indies Cricket Team. You know what? It needed to be said and thank you, BC for saying it! Here’s a snippet, but anyone who says they care about cricket, the Windies or anything Caribbean should read the entire article:

The team is not without blame; but to hang everything on 11 day-jobbers would be to, once again, ignore the fabric and seize hold of the frills of a problem going beyond all boundaries. The West Indies cricket team is only a symptom (even if the most glaring) of a Caribbean malaise, and not its cause. There may be all sorts of hope but there really is no reason for the team to do well when everything else in the region is failing spectacularly.

Do we want to bury our heads in the sand like we always have or do we want to positively find ways to solve our problems? According to BC, “Only the West Indies can rally round the West Indies.” Pick a side.