Are Black Achievers Being Obscured By A ‘Hidden Hand’?

Submitted by Charles Knighton

Astronaut Robert L. Curbeam Jr

I was unsure whether to laugh or whether to cry upon reading the Editorial letter by Mr. Rahim Shabazz “Notable Black Scientists” in the August 24th Advocate. In an effort to refute the assertions of a Mr. Dingwall and  a Mr. Lucas that “as a race black people continue to lag in the field of science” Mr Shabazz counters with the accomplishments of two astronauts, the inventor of the Supersoaker water gun, and a designer of automobiles. After such a thorough chastising Messrs. Dingwall and Lucas must feel appropriately chagrined by their temerity in questioning Black scientific achievement.

For the edification of Mr. Shabazz, the control of the media by what he refers to as the ” hidden hand”, whose purpose is to obscure Black achievement at all costs, did not prevent me from being aware of the two astronauts, Ms.Wilson and Mr. Curbeam, Jr.  All astronauts’ photographs are prominently displayed at both the Kennedy and Johnson Space Centers. Biographical information is also available upon request.

As for Mr. Johnson of Supersoaker fame and the automobile designer Mr. Lucas, just how much media coverage should they garner?  And why? Simply because of their skin colour? Individuals predisposed to finding the malevolent influence of “hidden hands” to further their narrative of oppression  will certainly do so, as we are always paid for our suspicions by finding what we suspect.

Gospel Singer Bobby Jones Is Coming To Barbados

World renown Gospel artist Bobby Jones is coming to Barbados

It seems the government is serious about tapping into the religious tourism market. Recently the Barbados Tourism Authority (BTA) announced the coming to our shores of world renown gospel singer Dr. Bobby Jones. We are told religious tourism is a 10 billion dollar industry and Barbados – by staging the Bobby Jones Concert – has sent a strong signal to the international market it wants a piece of the action.

Barbados has built a good reputation for staging religious shows with Gospelfest a shining example of what is possible.

CARIBBEAN STOCK REPORT 22 August to 26 August 2011

Compiled by the Department of Management Studies, UWI Cave Hill - Click image to read in PDF

The PSV Sector Needs Help

Minister of Transport

Legislation is on the way to make public service vehicle (PSV) owners accountable for traffic offences committed by their drivers – Nation Newspaper

Last week Minister of Transport John Boyce held a press conference to promise legislation  to rollout the breathalyser, ban cellphone use while driving and provide for electronic vehicle registration. Empty promise or not time will tell. BU took special interest in Boyce’s promise to ‘bring’ legislation which will make owners of PSVs responsible for the offences committed by their drivers. In this instance BU confidently predicts this legislation will not be proclaimed in Barbados anytime soon.

It is regrettable that a business which in the early days was seen as a legitimate Black business has now been bought into and greatly influenced by big business. BU understands that if the names of the owners of PSVs were to be made public Barbadians would be very surprised. Why is it a permit issued to person X can be sold and or be operated by person Y? We therefore have a situation in Barbados where if the owner of the permit is made public an entirely different person is actually ‘operating’ the permit.

Is Minister Boyce saying if he introduced legislation to make the owner accountable for the offences of the driver, it is the original owner of the permit who will be held responsible or the person renting or who has purchased the permit?

Has The SSA Morphed To ASS?

Submitted by Charles Knighton

Photo Credit: Nation

While the necessary requisites of common sense as well as a non osteoporotic  spine may well doom this suggestion, someone in authority needs to carefully read and take to heart Mr. R. E. Guyson Mayers’ “Signs of the times” op-ed offering in the August 28th Advocate.

All who put pen to paper endeavour to achieve the perspicuous perspicacity displayed by Mr. Mayers in his parsing of the issues related to the Westbury Cemetery fiasco, but few succeed as well. Such an egregious example of the tail wagging the dog provides the ideal opportunity to reestablish a proper no nonsense chain of command. Unpaid suspensions from work, as well as a few outright dismissals might well garner employees’ attention.

Are Our Laws Now Optional?

Submitted Bush Tea

Attorney General Adriel Brathwaite

It must be a matter of grave concern to the thinking persons among us, how it appears that in almost every possible area of our existence, we continue to realize declining results despite the fact that we now have so much more knowledge, technology, money, and other resources than we have ever had in our entire history.

Has there been ever a time in our history – including during our lowest periods of poverty and academic ignorance- when such  large numbers of our young people were so clearly hopelessly lost?                          After all the progress with education, social development, welfare advances and infrastructural development what explains the explosion of crime among youth just out of school?
Why is our judicial system in such a mess?
Why is the transport system so chaotic?
Why are we unhappy with our water works, our electric company, our traffic management?

On the global scene the situation appears to be even worse. Wars, drugs, crime, high energy prices, wild weather, earthquakes… These all seem to be responding in an inverse relationship to the increasing resources, educational inputs, experience and efforts that are brought to these issues.

WHY IS THIS?

The Indomitable Power Of Human Kind Seeking To Overcome Corrupt Politicians: A Country Which Gave You Mahatma Ghandi Now Gives You Anna Hazare

The manipulation of a gullible Bajan electorate by the political class has seen corrupt and unethical behaviour now appear as normal. Perennial breaches of the government’s financial rules can be followed in recent Auditor General Reports to compare with how Barbadians follow Days of Our Lives on the CBC TV; routine.

Then there is the impotence of a committee of parliament meant to be important in our system of government, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), rarely mentioned by John Citizen, media and other members in civil society. PAC is a committee which seeks to give the power to members of parliament to investigate breaches of the government’s financial rules by public and elected public officials. We are therefore forced to ask, why are we witnessing an exponential breakdown in law and order in a country not too long ago known for its orderliness?

Critiquing Sixth Form Performance At Harrison College And Queens College Versus The Others

Submitted by The Scout

Reverend Errington Massiah

There was an interesting article in this week’s Nation newspaper by Father Errington Massiah about the failure of two sixth form schools not gaining Barbados Scholarships. While what the Education Minister Ronald Jones said is true, he should have pointed out the flawed system used to determine the entry to secondary schools in Barbados.

As it stands Harrison College and Queens College take the cream of the crop, the other schools take the remainder. What is interesting is that for sixth form these two schools again take the top achievement students from all the other schools, it therefore stands that these two schools [Harrisons and Queens College] should take all or most of the Barbados Scholarships.

What must be realised is that all of those students who gained scholarship each year from Harrison College especially did not obtain their early secondary education at that school, instead some came from the other secondary schools, even schools which have a sixth form. Great respect is due to those students who achieve Barbados Scholarships and  Exhibitions who attended the lesser secondary schools, especially the newer ones.

Sanjay Manjrekar On Brian Lara The Great

The Environment Should Be Our Friend

Leaked EPA document

All over the world some strange occurrences are being witnessed in the environment, in many instances with contradicting explanations. Barbados has been under attack by a species of Sargassum Seaweed for nearly 3 months and the authorities seem impotent to mobilize a response. If it was not a serious matter it would be funny. Isn’t tourism our business any longer?

Recent reports indicate that “mercury emissions are rising globally, largely from coal-fired power stations, waste incinerators, and the mining of gold and silver in developing countries — where millions are affected directly through mining or contaminated food. Exposure to the most toxic form, methyl mercury, found in seafood, can result in permanent brain damage. The UN is working on setting up a legally binding instrument on mercury emissions”. In Barbados we import a lot of salmon.