Friday, October 19, 2018
WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?
What's wrong with this picture? UWI students, concerned for their safety and security mounted a protest demonstration late yesterday (Thursday) afternoon on the St. Augustine campus. They were clamouring for greater security. So somebody (probably the very university administration responsible for the students' safety and security) called the police who obligingly came and broke up the demonstration!
Now, if you think that there is nothing wrong with this picture then I really have nothing to say to you, for I think that it is so obviously wrong that it ought not to take a lot of words to prove it; and the old saying, 'a man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still' would apply to you. You see nothing wrong with calling police to break up a demonstration where the students are demanding that the university authorities provide them with greater security?!? If that's what you think then I can only shake my head in deep sadness and say that now I understand what is really wrong with this country of ours.
There is a most unfortunate attitude that is often on display by persons in authority in this country. I call it a neo-colonialist attitude. In the "good old days" before 1956 there were two rules:
Rule 1 was that Massa was always right.
Rule 2 was that when Massa was wrong refer back to Rule 1.
Now that Massa has gone our present rulers slavishly ape all the things that he used to do and they insist on making sure that Rules 1 and 2 still apply. All that has changed is the colour of Massa's skin. They are in charge and therefore no damned dog has a right to bark! And guess who is the dog? That's right: us!! (Please remember Rule 2)
No. Even if the students went a little overboard yesterday (and I don't know whether they did or did not) the police action was extreme and uncalled for and should be condemned. We should also criticize the university authorities. It is not good enough for them to wash their hands like Pontius Pilate and say 'well, there's crime all over the country'. No. This is their balliwick ... their turf ... their students ... and they should do more to protect them. They should take responsibility.
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Well said Robin! It's so sad to see where we have reached. This is exactly how the government treats us, with total disregard and disrespect to our concerns.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your articles Robin. When I was at the UWI -- I spent nine yrs there -- there were no shuttles as now and there was much less security. Female students would walk around in the night with only jerseys covering their panties as if the world was their cocoon-like bedroom. Security has improved a lot since my time. I drove through UWI recently. What more security do u suggest. If those students, whose education is subsidized by tax dollars, had any integrity or maturity, they would complain of the profound, ubiquitous whoring that pollutes the UWI environment. EVERY lecturer has a harem of student prostitutes at his/her command (i say her because some of these lecturers are lesbians.) But they are part of the problem. They return to their mommies and daddies home, they are playing dolly house with tax dollars. Are students themselves committing these alleged assaults and robberies? Take the subsidy away and then you can afford more security. But security is not the problem. These are immature, unproductive, dull, gutless students who are too afraid to speak the truth of UWI or of the fraudulence of academic education
ReplyDeletePoint 1: What is "The truth of UWI" and "the fraudulence of academic education"?????
DeletePoint 2:You state that "EVERY lecturer has a harem of student prostitutes". What is your basis for this derogatory charge? You also suggest that it is the FEMALE" students who engage in this activity even emphasizng "because some of these lecturers are lesbian". So the male students do not engage in trading sex for say better grades? Unless you can support these charges, your comments are bigoted and trite, and you owe both the UWI lecturers and students an apology!
Nothing wrong, you know why? Because they are paying MONEY and not getting their monies worth, sounds normal. Welcome to Trinidad.!!
ReplyDeleteHi Robin..it would be interesting to know more about the timing of the demonstration. Why now? Have conditions on the ground for students changed?
ReplyDeleteHi Robin..it would be interesting to know more about the timing of the demonstration. Why now? Have conditions on the ground for students changed?
ReplyDeleteHi Robin..it would be interesting to know more about the timing of the demonstration. Why now? Have conditions on the ground for students changed?
ReplyDeleteHi Robin..it would be interesting to know more about the timing of the demonstration. Why now? Have conditions on the ground for students changed?
ReplyDelete