By Dr Kwame Nantambu
June 08, 2023
The violent, brutal beating/murder of the 29-year-old black man Tyre Nichols on January 7, 2023 by five black Memphis police officers immediately pushes to the fore the inherent, insecure and dangerous existence of black life in America today.
Indeed, there was a time when blacks were considered “three-fifths of a person”, but it seems that that evaluation has now totally been relegated to zero.
Continue reading Living While Black in America
By Raffique Shah
June 06, 2023
Leila found it hilarious when an interviewer, who is chronicling the lives of ‘prominent people’, asked his penultimate question: What’s next on the radar for you, Mr. Shah? He had covered much of the multifaceted life I’ve lived. He found, as I had done, that my life had indeed been intriguing especially upon reflection since having been struck with Parkinson’s Disease thirteen years ago. Except for my weekly columns in this space, and I have been trying to complete a few books that are mostly written, I’ve done little else in what many might see as an important periods in my life’s journey. I could not help but laugh out loudly, though, at the question about my future at age 77, stricken with this debilitating disease that can be crippling several times a day, every day without fail. What next for me? Death, I responded, laughing raucously. Everyone within range, joined me. I have that infectious effect when I talk about mortality.
Continue reading Life after Parkinson’s? Maybe.
Newsday Editorial
June 06, 2023
MANY are the reasons why a victim of sexual assault may not come forward.
Some fear they will not be believed. Others are daunted by a criminal justice system plagued with delay. All of this is made worse when the perpetrator is a member of the protective services.
Continue reading A special victim
By Raffique Shah
May 30, 2023
Not for the first time in its 67-year history, the People’s National Movement goes into a local government election as the underdog. In 2019, as I recall it, the main opposition United National Congress, and some other parties with which it had forged alliances of sorts, seemed confident they would flog the PNM in the wake of a sluggish national economy, job cuts and its failure to secure support for local government reforms that intended to increase the powers of the municipal corporations.
Continue reading ‘Informed’ voters will decide election
20 years later: Piarco airport commission of enquiry report finally unwrapped…
By Ria Taitt
May 28, 2023 – trinidadexpress.com
It has remained under wraps for two decades.
The Sunday Express has however obtained a copy of the report of the commission of enquiry into the Piarco Airport Development Project, a subject which has poisoned the political bloodstream of Trinidad and Tobago with allegations of corruption on a grand scale and counter-allegations of political witch-hunting.
Continue reading MASSIVE CORRUPTION
By Raffique Shah
May 22, 2023
Nothing I have ever written in this space can be misconstrued to suggest that I proffered poverty as an excuse for crime. To the contrary, I have advanced many reasons why the link between poverty and crime is not axiomatic. And, I have warned the poor to stay clear of crime since they will be made to pay heaviest for it, while the real criminals have the wealth to retain high-priced attorneys, whose jobs are to keep the crooks out of prison.
Continue reading Poverty is a crime
By Anna Ramdass
May 18, 2023 – trinidadexpress.com
The people of Trinidad and Tobago have a right to vote.
This was the loud and clear message from the Privy Council law Lords who delivered judgement against the Government’s decision to postpone the Local Government Elections and extend the life of councils for one year.
Continue reading GOVT LOSES AT PRIVY COUNCIL – ‘PEOPLE HAVE A RIGHT TO VOTE’
By Camille Hunte
May 14, 2023 – Express
United States President Joe Biden has congratulated Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley on receiving an honorary degree from Howard University, saying he did not know Rowley was “so talented”.
Biden was delivering the feature address at Howard University’s 155th commencement convocation ceremony at the Capital One Arena in Washington, DC, yesterday.
Continue reading Rowley receives degree, praise from US President
By Raffique Shah
May 15, 2023
While members of parliament, on both sides of the divide debated, argued, and almost came to blows over a relatively minor issue— in this case, the supplementary appropriation bill— they could not see the herd of elephants in the House, not one in a room, set to stampede demanding an equitable place on Earth. I watched with consternation as MPs got close to blows over the Finance Minister’s proposal to increase expenditure for fiscal 2023, I thought: These people must be mad.
Continue reading Is What We Go Put
By Clint Chan Tack
May 15, 2023 – Newsday
FORMER commissioner of police (CoP) Gary Griffith on Sunday slammed CoP Erla Harewood-Christopher for her claim that 100 legal guns have been used in crimes.
Harewood-Christopher made the claim in a sworn statement filed in the High Court two weeks ago, in response to a lawsuit of gun dealer Towfeek Ali who is seeking permission to import ammunition.
Continue reading Former commissioner rubbishes top cop’s gun stats: Not so fast, Erla