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This ...I dont know what i might have done to the individual that did it to the dog .
Behind the placard-bearing dog
BARBARA GLOUDON
Friday, May 28, 2010
I will continue to be haunted for some time by the picture of the dog in last week's "women in white" march. The animal was made to wear a placard which read: "Jesus died for us - We will die for Dudus". Sections of the British Press latched on to the picture and has made it the poster child for our insanity - the symbol of a nation which likes to boast of its Christian heritage and its alleged uniqueness as the location of the most churches per square mile.
Since the march move we have not seen the canine chosen to carry the blasphemous message in the triumphant procession around Tivoli and into the heart of the city. A week later, we have also lost sight of the "bustiferous" women in white, who taunted the rest of the society with their declarations of allegiance to their Don of Dons."We are prepared to die for him," they advised the rest of us, as they cavorted in Passa-Passa style defiance. They seemed happy and confident then.
The placard dog.
The placard dog.
1/1
Since Sunday night, however, there has been no room for rejoicing as the wrath of the had-enough State rained down on the community in the search of the Don Man, to send a signal that enough is enough. Not surprisingly, the man for whom others were prepared to die, could not be found, and up to the time of writing, was still absent without leave. The popular belief is that he was alerted to make himself scarce, long before the troops arrived. He has taken himself to safer ground, leaving his followers to deal with the death, destruction and dislocation of their lives and livelihood. The women in white remain to sing the funeral songs. The placard dog is out of the spotlight.
The cost is also being borne by young people of Tivoli who are paying the price for their elders' servitude to a Don. Because of the battleground conditions, it was impossible to sit the various career-impacting examinations in neighbourhood centres. Once again, those young people who face the challenge of how to "step up inna life" are being thwarted.
The early explanations of the minister and Ministry of Education as to why the exams could not be rescheduled were cold comfort to the youths who were hoping that they could come out ahead of the stereotype, the "bad smaddy" image. No doubt they would want the rest of us to know that not everyone equates Jesus with a don man and a placard on a dog.
Reports of the difficult and traumatic experiences of some students, who went through "hell and powderhouse" to get to exam centres, was enough to invite a loss of hope. Many of our young people are made of sterner stuff, however, enough to overcome the bureaucratic bungling, such as last-minute relocation of exam centres and inadequate information on how to find them.
One group of students is said to have had to lie on their bellies on the floor of an examination centre to write their tests while gunshots echoed outside. The concern of teachers and others is that when the exam results come, will they reflect the stress and trauma which the students had to undergo? Some educators are insistent that nothing but rescheduling of the exams would have been the best way to have dealt with the situation from the start. The Ministry of Education has decreed that an alternative system of evaluation will be used which, they are confident, will reflect fairly on the students. Let's see, nuh.
By Wednesday, the media could report that 44 had died in the Battle for the Don and hundreds detained, two women among them. There was no word if they were clad in white. The women who had marched so triumphantly last week had their special guardian angel watching over them. They knew from experience how to "get flat". By yesterday, the death toll had grown to over 70 and the community was beginning to complain of injustice.
This is not the first time that, from a safe distance, the rest of Jamaica has watched terror in Tivoli. Since 1966, when the foundations were laid, the community has wrestled with a dark legacy unlike any other in this nation. Pampered and cosseted by its founding father and benefactor, Tivoli should have become the most admired community. Instead, it has had an ongoing, uneasy relationship with the rest of the country.
It has been given significant amenities to make it self-sufficient, including a fine high school within its borders and other schools nearby where some of the most dedicated teachers have served. Its children have grown up with more chances for civilised expression than many others that I know. In the area of culture (music, dance etc) more of their young adults have had their talents honed, enabling them to make their name in the world of entertainment and allied fields of employment.
There are many good people in Tivoli, but unfortunately some others contribute in large measure to the negative perception which clings to the community's name. It is this lot, which once again has enmeshed fellow citizens in a full-scale war.
HERE'S SOMETHING which puzzles me about the dog and placard last week.
From their knowledge of ancestral cultural forms, for which they have become famous, Tivoli people are fully aware of the complexities of life and death and the ancestral honour accorded to "The Word". They know fully well the significance and sacredness of the confession, "Jesus died for me", so it was surprising (to me at least), that they could have been persuaded to tolerate the gimmick of a dog carrying a message which their elders would have regarded as sacred. It is evidence of how much the times have changed in that community, as in others, where there is now a rampant disregard for the old values, especially the sanctity of life.
The latest chapter in the life of Tivoli is being written just as its founding father, Edward Seaga, was set to celebrate his 80th birthday in which Tivolites would certainly play a part. The celebration, like others in this season of a State of Emergency, has been postponed. In recent hours he has spoken out against what he sees as abandonment of his beloved Tivoli. For answers, he directs them to their new MP. (Guess who?)
IMAGES OF THE WEEK: A -- The sober atmosphere of Parliament on Tuesday. The usually asinine, immature desk-thumping was reduced to a minimum, except for one moment of the usual fourth-form foolishness when one of the Government side made a bizarre attempt at heckling (or whatever) during the Leader of the Opposition's presentation.
B: The shame-making, embarrassing attention given by the global media of the mess in which we have found ourselves. It should not be surprising that embellishments have occurred, the most flagrant being the ABC News report which has incurred the wrath of our prime minister and caused the US State Department to distance itself from allegations about the PM's supposed "connections".
C: Rumour, rumour and more rumour. The home-grown ones are bad enough. It is when they're manufactured abroad and exported home that you know our corner dark.
Behind the placard-bearing dog
BARBARA GLOUDON
Friday, May 28, 2010
I will continue to be haunted for some time by the picture of the dog in last week's "women in white" march. The animal was made to wear a placard which read: "Jesus died for us - We will die for Dudus". Sections of the British Press latched on to the picture and has made it the poster child for our insanity - the symbol of a nation which likes to boast of its Christian heritage and its alleged uniqueness as the location of the most churches per square mile.
Since the march move we have not seen the canine chosen to carry the blasphemous message in the triumphant procession around Tivoli and into the heart of the city. A week later, we have also lost sight of the "bustiferous" women in white, who taunted the rest of the society with their declarations of allegiance to their Don of Dons."We are prepared to die for him," they advised the rest of us, as they cavorted in Passa-Passa style defiance. They seemed happy and confident then.
The placard dog.
The placard dog. 1/1 Since Sunday night, however, there has been no room for rejoicing as the wrath of the had-enough State rained down on the community in the search of the Don Man, to send a signal that enough is enough. Not surprisingly, the man for whom others were prepared to die, could not be found, and up to the time of writing, was still absent without leave. The popular belief is that he was alerted to make himself scarce, long before the troops arrived. He has taken himself to safer ground, leaving his followers to deal with the death, destruction and dislocation of their lives and livelihood. The women in white remain to sing the funeral songs. The placard dog is out of the spotlight.
The cost is also being borne by young people of Tivoli who are paying the price for their elders' servitude to a Don. Because of the battleground conditions, it was impossible to sit the various career-impacting examinations in neighbourhood centres. Once again, those young people who face the challenge of how to "step up inna life" are being thwarted.
The early explanations of the minister and Ministry of Education as to why the exams could not be rescheduled were cold comfort to the youths who were hoping that they could come out ahead of the stereotype, the "bad smaddy" image. No doubt they would want the rest of us to know that not everyone equates Jesus with a don man and a placard on a dog.
Reports of the difficult and traumatic experiences of some students, who went through "hell and powderhouse" to get to exam centres, was enough to invite a loss of hope. Many of our young people are made of sterner stuff, however, enough to overcome the bureaucratic bungling, such as last-minute relocation of exam centres and inadequate information on how to find them.
One group of students is said to have had to lie on their bellies on the floor of an examination centre to write their tests while gunshots echoed outside. The concern of teachers and others is that when the exam results come, will they reflect the stress and trauma which the students had to undergo? Some educators are insistent that nothing but rescheduling of the exams would have been the best way to have dealt with the situation from the start. The Ministry of Education has decreed that an alternative system of evaluation will be used which, they are confident, will reflect fairly on the students. Let's see, nuh.
By Wednesday, the media could report that 44 had died in the Battle for the Don and hundreds detained, two women among them. There was no word if they were clad in white. The women who had marched so triumphantly last week had their special guardian angel watching over them. They knew from experience how to "get flat". By yesterday, the death toll had grown to over 70 and the community was beginning to complain of injustice.
This is not the first time that, from a safe distance, the rest of Jamaica has watched terror in Tivoli. Since 1966, when the foundations were laid, the community has wrestled with a dark legacy unlike any other in this nation. Pampered and cosseted by its founding father and benefactor, Tivoli should have become the most admired community. Instead, it has had an ongoing, uneasy relationship with the rest of the country.
It has been given significant amenities to make it self-sufficient, including a fine high school within its borders and other schools nearby where some of the most dedicated teachers have served. Its children have grown up with more chances for civilised expression than many others that I know. In the area of culture (music, dance etc) more of their young adults have had their talents honed, enabling them to make their name in the world of entertainment and allied fields of employment.
There are many good people in Tivoli, but unfortunately some others contribute in large measure to the negative perception which clings to the community's name. It is this lot, which once again has enmeshed fellow citizens in a full-scale war.
HERE'S SOMETHING which puzzles me about the dog and placard last week.
From their knowledge of ancestral cultural forms, for which they have become famous, Tivoli people are fully aware of the complexities of life and death and the ancestral honour accorded to "The Word". They know fully well the significance and sacredness of the confession, "Jesus died for me", so it was surprising (to me at least), that they could have been persuaded to tolerate the gimmick of a dog carrying a message which their elders would have regarded as sacred. It is evidence of how much the times have changed in that community, as in others, where there is now a rampant disregard for the old values, especially the sanctity of life.
The latest chapter in the life of Tivoli is being written just as its founding father, Edward Seaga, was set to celebrate his 80th birthday in which Tivolites would certainly play a part. The celebration, like others in this season of a State of Emergency, has been postponed. In recent hours he has spoken out against what he sees as abandonment of his beloved Tivoli. For answers, he directs them to their new MP. (Guess who?)
IMAGES OF THE WEEK: A -- The sober atmosphere of Parliament on Tuesday. The usually asinine, immature desk-thumping was reduced to a minimum, except for one moment of the usual fourth-form foolishness when one of the Government side made a bizarre attempt at heckling (or whatever) during the Leader of the Opposition's presentation.
B: The shame-making, embarrassing attention given by the global media of the mess in which we have found ourselves. It should not be surprising that embellishments have occurred, the most flagrant being the ABC News report which has incurred the wrath of our prime minister and caused the US State Department to distance itself from allegations about the PM's supposed "connections".
C: Rumour, rumour and more rumour. The home-grown ones are bad enough. It is when they're manufactured abroad and exported home that you know our corner dark.
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