A Purr-fect T&T

So tonight I was looking at TV6 Carnival coverage and I almost fell off my chair. No, it wasn't because I saw a scantily-clad woman wining away on camera. (Although there was some of that going on). Cherisse D'Abadie was interviewing a Video Jockey from the British MTV whose name was Cat or something like that. (Notice the rhymes... I'm into the Carnival fever) She asked him what he thought of Trinidad Carnival and he said that what struck him most was how safe he felt!!! Hooooold up! This is Trinidad and Tobago we talking about? Where everyday somebody getting killed, raped or robbed and where you have to lock up before dark? This Trinidad and Tobago? The Cat even said he called his people in the UK to tell them that they need to check us for help on how to run a safe Carnival. He said that the authorities showed zero tolerance for crime and that nobody was trying to "kill anybody's child."

Zero tolerance on crime? All year the Commissioner of Police has been promising zero tolerance on crime and still T&T living in fear. But all of a sudden for Carnival they doing what they should have been doing the whole blooming year. Soldiers and police patrolling all over. Helicopter flying low. Blimp flying high. Suddenly T&T is a safe place to live. Maybe I missed it, but I didn't hear about any murders on the news today.

Man jamming on woman, woman jamming on man, man jamming on other man woman and everybody feeling nice. Trinidad safe. And you know what is the sad thing? After Tuesday, everything back to abnormal. We feeling unsafe again.

But remember as the Minister of National Insecurity say, crime bad all over. Look the British Cat say so.

What's good for the goose......

So a magistrate has refused to grant a license for the promoters to host the annual after Carnival cool down fete on Manzanilla Beach this year. The reason she cited was that the event had become ungovernable, what with the robberies and the lewd behavior of a couple of young ladies last year. I have no problem with her refusing to grant the license. As a matter of fact I would support her, but I would also extend it further.

Let's refuse to grant licences to the promoters of all the fetes that take place in the Carnival season. Because as we know someone always gets robbed, stabbed or killed at these events. Don't even talk about the lewd behaviour that takes place. The scantiest of outfits appear at these parties and the behavior of the party goers borders on pornographic. Imagine a fete with names such as "Till Drunk Do Us Part"... Imagine all the drunk drivers trying to wend their way home after leaving that party. Didn't these promoters get a license? What about those parties where the stipulated dress code is sleepwear, and we're not talking about granny's flannel pyjamas here. Weren't those promoters granted licenses as well?

Going further, we all know that the height of debauchery in Trinidad and Tobago is Carnival time. I think some brave magistrate should block the Government from having Carnival, a festival of drunken revelry, wanton sex, violence and crime. What went on at Manzanilla last year pales in comparison to what goes on at Carnival every year. Apparently what the Government considers to be immoral throughout the year does not apply at Carnival time.

Let's face it, we live in a hypocritical society. But until there is equality for all, Ms Magistrate..please give the people their license.