Is like we jes ent satisfy until we really reach everywhere in de World.
Ah mean fuh a small pair of islands we real ent playing we big in de dance all over de world. I still ent figure out how a little boy from Trinidad could end up in some kinda terrorist foolishness in Carnada. Ah mean to say is what de boy was tinking? He ent have enough to do back at home? Yuh ent see is not to send dem chirren to University in furrin - is like dey head does get tie up wid de cold and sometin does go wrong wid dem.

De problem is dat dey does usually come home before dey want to show dey maddish. Dat is how we does end up wid all dis kinda tinking dat now have we all turning upside down and inside out. I still cyar believe dat Patos stand up and watch big people and say dat he trowing de Trinity Cross in de Labasse wid all de rest ah tings dat does mek we who we is.

Now let we look at de ting in a serious and rational way. It have people who does feel dat some symbols does be so powerful dat even being near dem does cause offense. I ent have a problem wid dat at all. I does recognise dat my neighbours does all have dey own Gord and dey does all pray in dey own way. But yuh know when I does invite mih neighbours to come over to my Church for de harvest or to help out wid de bran tub at de St. Vincent de Paul dey does be quick to say dey right dey wid me.

It have a bigger ting to consider and dat is community and neighbours.
Sat and Kamla could ramajay all dey want over dis Trinity Cross ting, but de PNM have a long history of claiming vengeance and I hope when dey get what de aks for dey like it.

I ent even want to consider how ridiculous dis ting could get, but I does remember de fervour of 1976 and when we did declare weself ah Republic (which is a nex story I still trying to understand), and it had all sorta joker who want to tear down every colonial name off de streets. Somehow sense did prevail and we still have de Queen's Park Savannah, Prince Street, and Princess Town. Doh mind dat yuh cyar actually find de placenames when yuh reach dey.

But is true dat after once time is two time, because it reach back. De ting is dat it had a easy way to deal wid it. We already does do it everyday in de Courts. When yuh does get swear in before yuh give evidence it does have one book for Christian, one for Hindu. So all dey had was to do was keep de Trinity fuh dem dat want it, and introduce a nex version for every other group.

But no, Patos had was to make grand charge because he know he have someting waiting for Kamla and de resa dem. All I know is we heading down de road dat all dem First World Nations find dey self stumbling over wid political correctness. Allyuh wait! De nex ting is dat it cyar have no Diwali in schools because it go offend some Seven-Day.

And all de time more and more people getting shoot daily. We really ent have nutten to occupy we minds but dis Trinity Cross story? Is what really go serve by getting rid of it? How many children go get save from rapists? How many drivers go choose to drive sober tonight? How many people go turn off dey cellphones at de tear-tuh? We really ent changing nutten by changing de name or de shape.

Lord I does vex sometimes yes. I now looking forward to a month ah football. So leh we look forward to de boys doing dey best and coming back proud to be people of Trinidad and Tobago.
 

BACKCHAT: Issue 21

Dear Tantie,

I try to read your column regularly and have enjoyed, and learnt a lot from, your unique analysis of many of the problems confronting us in Trinidad and Tobago. I must confess though that I am a bit confused by this last column. I have no problem with your disagreement with the judgement of Justice Peter Jamadar. However, I am not sure if I misunderstood the first part of your column which seemed to suggest that the celebration of this event means that Indo-Trinidadians are not happy to simply be Trinis.

I am very happy to be a Trinidadian. I am even happier to be a Trinidadian who can wear the clothes worn by my ancestors and pray in the tongue of my ancestors. I feel extremely proud when I see Pearl Eintou Springer doing the same with the Orisha faith. And I say this because if we don't then we would all be wearing European clothes and would only know to speak to God in European language. What explanation then would I be giving to my children as to why this is so? And should it be so?

I would instead have encouraged everyone of all ethnic groups to wear the clothes of our East Indian ancestors and celebrate the contribution they made to our society. Just as I encourage everyone to wear the clothes of our African ancestors when it is Emancipation Day, and the clothes of our Chinese Ancestors on October 10. Further, on a daily basis then I would encourage all of us to celebrate the heritage of all our people and accept all of it as our own. In my mind if we don't then we would only know the ways and culture of the English and you know today that really means North American culture... and all that that implies.

Keep on writing, it helps many of us to think more critically.

//Trinidad

Tantie yuh make some real good points dey about de Trinity Cross ruling.
I have a question or two to ask as well: Since Trinidad means or is associated with the word Trinity, would offended people then ask us to change the very name of our country? What about the Trinity Hills which were initially sighted by old Christopher Columbus and inspired him to name our island Trinidad in the first place? And what about the Hindus and Moslems that attend Trinity College not to mention St. Mary's, St.  Joseph's Convent, Holy Name Convent, Bishop Anstey HS, Fatima College, St. Anthony's College and all the rest such schools? They not offended to send their children to these schools (and I went to both a Christian denominational primary and secondary school and surely remember several Hindu and Moslem classmates, some of whom are my friends to this day!) And Desmond Allum and associates have named their law offices Trinity Chambers; I real sure nobody complain it was offensive even when they were defending any Hindus or Moslems. And what if The Queen of England decides she wanted to award the highest medal of her empire to a Trini Moslem or Hindu (which is a cross I might add) for some sort of outstanding act would they have the temerity (i.e. be bold faced) to decline Her Majesty's offer? Another thing, when the Justice Jamadar was handing down his ruling, there was never a mention to how the rest of Trinidad feels on the issue, i.e. the Christians and other people. The swastika is also a Hindu symbol, but it was also Hitler's chosen symbol for the SS during his reign and I'm VERY sure a lot of people would be highly offended by that symbol today. Whatever happened to tolerance?
Don't Hindu's and Moslems partake in the festivities at Christmas? A most Christian celebration if there ever was one... everyone has a Christmas tree and de world of twinkling icicle lights hang up anywhere it have space and sends cards and gifts to each other with almost no regard for each other's differing religions with probably the exception of the very devout. And about this Indian Arrival Day Holiday... I'm highly offended by it because I'm a Trini in the truest sense of the word. I am not purely African or Indian or Carib or anything else but ah Trini. My pot well mix up. So when did we arrive? What happened to the Chinese and Portuguese? They were indentured laborers too. This holiday should be renamed simply Arrival Day and all the various peoples that 'arrived' here could then be appropriately celebrated. The Prime Minister recently noted during the Chinese celebrations early this year that he wanted to do more to recognize their 200 year presence here and was even considering a holiday; well one already exists and it would please the business sector as well as it wouldn't be adding another new holiday to the calendar. - de mixed Trini //Trinidad