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Changing the Mirror
What a week! Not a dull moment: Panday blocked from entering parliament by armed policemen; the true identity of dirty dancing teenager Danah Alleyne exposed – daughter of a popular pastor; the greatest batsmen in cricket history our beloved Brian Lara resigned from international cricket; Machael Montano involved in an altercation that leaves a youth seriously injured; no less a person than the Prime Minister came out in support of Danah and the PNM trained its guns on Johnny Soong in an effort to shift blame from the pastor and his daughter.
Murder and mayhem took a back seat as the hypocrisy of our half-baked society took front seat. We refuse to accept the reflection in the mirror and seek to blame the mirror and try to change it. Perhaps we prefer to enjoy the status quo in a suspended state of disbelief than face the raw social reality.
Some say it started with the junior secondary school shift system of education. Children were left with far too much idle time during working hours when it was impossible for parents to monitor their movements. The result is that they were exposed to maxi taxi conductors, drivers and touts, bullies and other idle people who had nothing else to do with their time except exploit their adolescent vulnerability.
The liberation of carnival exposed children to party songs with sexually explicit lyrics and bumps, wines and grinds. Far from simulating romantic sex, it glorified horning, having a good time and zipless sex. Add to this the rap, dub and hip hop culture that praises all the bitches, ho’s and niggas in the house and chutney performances that now threaten to make even the worst dutty wine girl blush and you have Danah’s generation.
I have been lecturing to schools as part of the Guardian Leadership Series Programme and interacting with students all over the country. The bad boys and rude gyals rule ting now, marn. Smoking and drinking, sexing and drugging, boom box blasting, they have their own nirvana-on-wheels in the maxis.
In the same way parents blame poor teachers, everyone wants to blame Akon and Johnny Soong. At the tender age of 15, Danah sports a provocative tattoo above her butt, pierced belly button, oozes sex appeal and bares the sides of her breasts in a risqué outfit that would make a chutney dancer blush. On her HI 5 profile available on the net, she states: “i am really outgoing, wild, and luvvvv to have fun, luvv to be around frendz and hang out and off course PARTYYY!! oh well... ima bitch,ive got class,mess wid me and i'll kick ur ass!!neways u'll jus have to get to knw me if u wanna knw nemore!! "
Complete with photographs in sexually provocative poses, young Danah described her occupation as ‘professional slacker’. Her response to ‘employment’ is “Nahh, I dohh work – I livin off Pappiii!!!" So much for those tithes and offerings in the name of the Lord, I guess.
How can we blame Akon? How was he supposed to know her age? Far from being shy and coy, Danah was wukkin it up quite nicely with a crowd of adults (policemen and all) cheering on in true Trini style.
In the same way parents are quick to blame teachers, everyone is quick to blame Soong. Yes, she should have been denied access to the club. That was wrong, yes; but so is selling cigarettes and alcohol to minors.
We have created a culture that is based on and glorifies flesh and sex and everyone is in on the act – the young, the old, the good, the bad and the ugly. Be it the poom poom shorts, pajama party or wet fete, its all hypocritically passed off as good natured fun.
The infamous Manzanilla Ash Wednesday cool down fete saw women strip naked and allow men to cool down their private parts with water from melting ice in full view of everyone (including policemen). This was no more than an uncomfortable social hiccup. The same police that are so quick to target Soong have taken no action against the women or the promoter. Why?
In the final analysis there is no substitute for good parenting. If Soong prevented Danah from entering Zen would that have helped? One night at club Zen did not make her the person she was on stage! The signs were all there (tattoo, pierced navel, sexy outfits in the wardrobe etc) but Danah’s parents ignored them, pretended they meant nothing or flippantly dismissed it as ‘a phase’. And yes, good parents can have bad children, but good children seldom have bad parents. Let Danah Alleyne ask Choclate Alleyne.
By Anand Ramlogan
2007-04-29
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I have read your article dated 27th april 2007 and all along I have been saying the same thing!!! I agree with you 100%.
As I myself was reminded during carnival people copulate all over the streets etc..and it seems okay to inflence a culture to encourage youth to wine oh and i can't forget when we have artists like denise and destra......oh my are they any different from AKON?
At least he did his act with some clothes on.....even our society has double standards!!!!
As far as Miss Alleyne is concerned, is anyone aware that she had already featured in one of our daily newspaper during carnival sporting similarly skimpy outfit?
The girl loves the bright life and has been leading a double life at such a young age! Now was Zen or Akon responsible for that? Hmmmm...PARENTS BE MORE RESPONSIBLE!!! AND TODAY WE WONDER WHY OUR YOUTH ARE GOING OFF COURSE
It seems as though us Trinies love to look for someone else to blame but who cares that we have become a society, like America that scornfully resembles the description of Biblical Sodom and Gomorrah.
From VICIOUS CRIMINALS disguising themselves as Honest Businessmen, Community Leaders, Politicians, Judicial Officers, Trade Union Leaders, Religious Leaders, Journalists, Teachers, Doctors, Lawyers, Contractors, Artists, Sports Persons, Parents, etc., no wonder then that the children are driven to practicing exactly what this sick society has taught them.
WHEN GOOD PEOPLE DO NOTHING EVIL ABOUNDS!
When you have a society that is driven by numerous forms of bigotry as opposed to equity and morality, a society that would blindly defend injustice, impropriety, or vile indecency as we-culture, what do you expect?
When Promiscuity, Obscenity and Lude expressions are justified as art and Trini-culture, then some self-righteous Bigots in our society venture to make moral pronouncements, like Satan correcting SIN, what ethical difference does it make?
NB:If the SHOE fits wear It!
Change starts with a conscious effort, that begins with ME.
In case you are wondering. I have been fighting the righteous fight for the past 30 years because it started with ME. I will stand-alone if I have to, as long as it is for the greater good of the greatest amount of creation.
RIK-V, Your thoughts on this are most stimulating. I could see clearly what you're saying. If I read you right it is society as you describe it, in T&T, that drives individuals to conduct themselves in a grossly unacceptable manner. The sort of Danah-Akon Syndrome we saw recenlty.
This is frightening because it means that the likes of Danah become 'unconscious' automatons programmed and driven by 'software' written in society (if you see my analogy to computing).
And what is even more dreadful is that if leaders, parents and others you mentioned, are also victims of this orchestrated brainwashing, then what does that leave for guidance of our developing youth? You know the utter debauchery that took place at a Manzanilla cool down! Or take the contemptible lewdness that is displayed as good fun around Carnival - where everybody has to free up.
What brake is there on the corrupt society, from making people in T&T unknowing or semi-conscious corrupt puppets? Is Religion any real buffer or shield. Danah being the daughter of a pastor - we might have expected more shielding from all this contamination. But no. You could see her grinning and having a fun time in some of the photos - one with Akon.
What are the people of T&T to do now? It sounds like a hopeless situation - I wonder.
Cap. W. If you were to peruse the pages of history, you would observe that the minority of influential and affluent egocentrics of the particular period led the majority of gullible and faithful subjects.
I read you loud and clear when you said change begins with 'me' and people ought to make a conscious effort. I took that to mean change begins with each individual. I have no argument with that as a principle. However, were we to preach this to the likes of Danah and to the likes of her parents, I don't suppose it would have much effect. After all her parents must have preached it to themselves and to dear Danah several times. After all, the father is a pastor.
Many people who we would be preaching this philosophy to are incapacitated by some kind of crazy programming. If they could have simply adopted the philosophy of 'change begins with me, lets concsiously change our ways' then we would be far better off today. In fact we wouldn't need to be writing all this out here.
<<We must emulate and demand equity, transparency, accountability, righteousness and decorum>> I can personally see this as correct in principle - but again very many people we would be preaching this to cyah even understan' what those words mean or care to even find out. That is the reality of life in T&T and elsewhere.
What's to motivate people to change their ingrained patterns of behaviour - to wake up and adopt this 'newfound' for them approach/attitude/pattern of life.? I fear the 'change begins with me' approach will not reach the people it most needs to reach.
After reading Anand's commentary "Changing the Mirror" I was speechless for several hours. I did not know exactly what to think.
He has crystallised so much of what T&T society has become into a well wrapped package of words.
Danah Alleyne's conduct should be a wake up call for all parents and teenagers in T&T. No single factor on its own contributed to her behaviour at Zen.
T&T has adopted a hedonistic culture in an attempt to ape what is seen in first world nations. The world is smaller and youngsters are seeing the first world as something to mimic. They want a piece of the 'akshan' and the bright lights.
When I saw Danah's and Akon's sexual antics at Zen I was in shock horror. But say what, loads of people at Zen where chanting and screaming in ecstasy while a child was on stage being abused. Something from a Hollywood movie or a 'pump action' scene from somewhere in Germany? No sir, this was in T&T and some of those shouting and screaming in joy at this abuse must have felt "Gosh we real into the first world scene".
And see some of Danah at Trinioutlaw's blog. The nasty video from Zen is at DailyMotion. What do you make of it. Were you at Zen? Did you enjoy it? Can you show that video to your kids or teenagers?
T&T as a Nation is behaving like it is confused and intoxicated. The high from all the oil dollars will end one day, and following that will come one nasty hangover.
Anand, In your article in this Sunday's Guardian you have gain gone where even the prime minister and members on the government were afraid to go and that was telling the whole truth amid nothing but the truth.
You have highlighted many of the facts that were neglected to be addressed in the issue of Danah and Akon. Her father seeing here dressed so provocative had no word of warning or caution for her. What about her mother did she not see Danah leaving the house. I can remember growing up we had to check in with our parents before we leave the house.
If they did not like what we were wearing they told us to go and change and we dear not question their authority. Good parents and a proper upbringing is what the world lacks today. Bring back them old time days when your mother, father, aunt, uncle, neighbour, even a granny who is no relation to you could of corrected you if they caught you doing something wrong and you better not fight back because all hell might break loose.
After reading your commentary, I gained more insight into the Danah Alleyne "messy affair" with Akon. I was not aware of all the details that you filled in about this young lady. This girl and her family need some counselling and time to get their act together.
What upsets me most of all about this mess is all the politicians who are trying to get in on the act and making outrageous statements about the girl. Like Fitzgerald Hinds calling the girl "wild and stupid" and Camille Regis Robinson calling for a boycott of Zen and closing the place down. Then the PM getting in on the act and calling the girl to "talk to her". How utterly ridiculous!
Does the PM find the time to call victims of murders, kidnapping, etc? Let this family sort out their issues without all these politicians grandstanding and making asses of themselves.
What they should be doing is coming up with laws and policies to tighten up the loopholes that allow kids to get in to "adult type" activities. They should be making laws that require all citizens over 16 to have and carry a state-issued ID card. Without it, no one should be granted services that require the showing of this card. No more "I forgot it home", it is in my other pants pocket" or such foolishness.
People in other countries are required to have a ID, why do we think we are any different in T&T? In this day and age, it is becoming more and more urgent that people have ID on them. So stop the "it ain't in we culture to carry ID" and start carrying one. If a true ID policy was in force, Danah would not be allowed to enter the club in the first place and we not be having this discussion.
It's a shame to see the society condoning such behaviour. Was Danah a victim here? I think not but the Prime Minister calls her to enquire how she's dealing with this. Now...here I am asking myself what ablur Sean Luke, Vindra Naipaul and ths countless innocent people who were murdered. This sort of behavior that she displayed at Zen was nothing more than normal because such raucous and nothing short of nasty compromise of self value was instilled in her. I'm 19 years and I could never leave my home dressed in that way. My dad is not a pastor but last time I checked being a pastor doesn't make you any lesser of a person in terms of teaching your child about self respect and values and then the Prime Minister will have the audacity to say Danah had no control in the situation. She was not forced to go on stage and neither did she suddenly receive a "Godly" touch and start to wine and behave in the most disgusting manner simulating sexual immorality and imitating sex positions with Akon...but then again this is a normal scene for carnival where this country everything is a joke and big party. Well done Mannning your showng the world your mastery in non sense and double standards, you should get the prize for best governance since under your dictatorship inflation rates made history, murders remain unsolved and now you're showing your skills in double standard behaviour.