Grandparents bludgeoned to death

By Nalinee Seelal, newsday.co.tt
January 31 2007

JailAn elderly couple was beaten to death at their Cascade home yesterday by bandits who escaped with an iron safe, leaving behind two infant children crawling in the blood of their murdered grandparents.

The badly beaten body of retired Neal and Massy auto manager, Clyde Commissiong, 69, and his 70-year-old wife, Denise, were found covered in blood in two separate areas of their home on Riverside Road, Cascade. The discovery was made by their daughter Simone, around midday yesterday.
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Portrait of America in TnT

By Dr. Kwame Nantambu
January 29, 2007

AfricansIt is a universally accepted truism that Trinbagonians are the world’s perfect copycats of the modus vivendi of another foreign country. It is also a universally accepted truism that Trinbagonians copy the absolute worst aspects of daily life and values of that alien culture.

It is this truism that is progressively eating away at the very core of sane, civilized human existence in TnT. Not too long ago, there existed the “Portrait of Trinidad” during which TnT was a true, de jure paradise and Trinibagonians were “poor and polite.” This was a time when sanity, human respect/dignity, inward-looking way of life and indigenous values ruled. This was a time, indeed,” when neighbour looked after neighbour.”
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We are failing the promises of Independence

By Errol F. Hosein
January 27, 2007

Trini PeopleThe recent slaughter of four individuals in Morvant including a police officer and the horrific exposure to the atrocity by a young child, is a startling reminder that few are safe from harms way in our present-day society.

We are rapidly becoming a dysfunctional society in which crime and criminals command respect. Too frequently we make comparative analysis about crime and criminal activity in other countries around the world as if to minimize the pain and suffering that we are presently experiencing. This is simply morbid.
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Sledgehammer for a sandfly

By Raffique Shah
January 28, 2007

This is not a picture of Ishmael but a symbol of someone being arrestedThe comical though heavy-handed manner in which the police handled the Inshan Ishmael issue makes one want to laugh till you cry. Here’s a man who decided to mount a crusade against the evils that bedevil the society. In the still of the night, on the eve of his planned shutdown of the country, tonnes (yeah, tonnes!) of cops swoop down on his home and drag him away from his family much the way kidnappers do. They cart him off to Police HQ, hold him for most of the day. They then charge him with publishing a pamphlet without identifying the publisher-one of the most trivial, archaic laws in our statute books!
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Panday’s Zero Credibility On Unity

By Stephen Kangal
January 24, 2007

Basdeo PandaySelf styled and pathological struggler, Mr. Basdeo Panday who enjoys the unique distinction of having mashed up each and every recent experiment in electoral-based accommodation is again erecting another ego-centric unity platform carded for 25 January. As usual, unity, whatever that means is to be found in the mind of Panday, must be crafted under his skewed leadership and on his egocentric driven terms and conditions.
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African History Month

More Than a Celebration of Struggle, Arts & Culture

By Michael De Gale
January 23, 2007

AfricansIf I didn’t know better, during the month of February I will be left with the distinct impression that the Civil Rights struggle, crafts and music mixed with a dazzling display of dance and a variety of cultural activities represents the sum of Africa’s contribution to civilization. In spite of the overwhelming scientific evidence and the existence of numerous artifacts, little is ever mentioned in the mainstream about Africa’s contributions to civilization in the fields of science and technology. With the exception of inquiring minds, the proliferation of numerous books and scholarly articles on the subject has done little to dispel the truncated view of Africa as simply a land of exoticism in the consciousness of the greater public.
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Woman Police Constable among 4 shot dead in Morvant

4 shot dead in Morvant

By Nalinee Seelal, newsday.co.tt
January 23 2007

JailA 47-year-old Woman Police Constable attached to the Morvant Police Station, her 48-year-old husband, 20-year-old daughter and a man said to be in his ’40s were gunned down by four masked gunmen, who stormed into the Pelican Extension, Morvant home of the officer around 8.30 pm last night.

The gunmen shot dead WPC Elizabeth Sutherland, her husband Ivan, their daughter Anika, and Kevan Serrette. Newsday also learned that a grandchild was present at the time of the shooting, but up to 10.30 pm last night could not be accounted for. Police helicopters were hovering over the scene and police officers were combing the area looking for the child.
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Capitalizing on Our Sporting Greatness

By Edward Hoskins
January 22, 2006

Soca WarriorsIt has been approximately just over seven months since the Trinidad and Tobago Soca Warriors graced the world football stage in the 2006 edition of the World Cup finals. The 10th of June 2006 was an important date for the country as the first time experience of being in the World Cup filled every Trinbagonian’s veins with immense, nationalistic pride. The Road to Germany experience for players, supporters and country was an event not easily forgotten, and always remembered. It is a pity, however, that the value of this experience, its significance and importance is diminished in the absence of any institutional and national framework to develop far reaching sporting programmes that will nurture football and other sporting talent.
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Do not follow the U.S. prison system

By Linda E. Edwards
January 20, 2007

Re: Marion O’Callahan’s Commentary in Newsday

JailThere are two additional ways we do not want, definitely do not want, to follow the U.S. prison system.

1. The building of private prisons to be leased to the state is one of them. In this system – example Corrections Corporation of America – (check the U.S. stock exchange for trading values), shareholders get together and build a prison. Now for the shareholders to make a profit, just like a hotel, the institution has to operate at maximum efficiency. That is full or almost full. So shareholders have a vested interest in keeping these prisons full.
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