Today is Republic Day in Trinidad & Tobago, and in thinking of what to say I am reminded of a joke a friend of mine posted about some maxi pad’s manufacturer’s slogan to ‘Have a happy period’ and one woman’s graphic response to them. In short she opined that a period will never be a happy time for a woman, and the man who came up with that particular slogan should have his entrails pretty much handed to him.
You are going to be assailed with Happy Republic Day greetings from rank and file advertisers hoping to cash in on the mileage, but does Republic Day really mean anything to anyone other than the fact that it’s a holiday? Seriously, what is its significance that it deserves a holiday separate and apart from say Independence Day? Having kicked the Queen to the curb we are approaching sixty murders per one hundred thousand people per year, while Canada, who still embraces Her Royal Highness as the ultimate sovereign, only has two. We are an immature nation awash with oil dollars separated into racial tribes and living in total fear.
Our cherished freedom to drink and party comes to a screeching halt the day we are the one in the story being passed around, about having had a good time the night before, never made it home. Four hundred people have been murdered so far this year. Many times more have been raped, molested, assaulted, hijacked, kidnapped and hurt against their will. Death and dismemberment numbers on the nation’s roads are astronomical compared to civilized society ruled by law anywhere else in the world. If you get into an accident and are hurt but survive, you are more like to be robbed than assisted by the first people at the scene of the accident.
There is nothing happy about living in Trinidad & Tobago right now, and to make the matter worse, your minority PNM government is bent on consolidating power by any means possible, including the removal of the Judicial safeguards that have so far guaranteed at least your right to be free. We live in a society where the media have capitulated to power in exchange for cocktail party hand outs or are owned outright by interests’ contrary to the peoples interests.
Sorry to throw cold water on your holiday, but if you went out last night, had a good time, got back to your car safely, drove it home, got into your home un-assaulted and your home was in the same un-invaded condition that you left it in, then congratulations, you beat the odds. Well done. But it’s still early enough for you to be on the news tonight.
Graphic? You bet! Truthful and honest? Be viewing at seven tonight, see those who weren’t as lucky.
Oh, and have a Happy Republic Day!
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