[ Reply | Next | Previous | Up ]
From: Lawrence Waldron
Date: 15 Dec 2003
Time: 18:46:07 -0800
Remote Name: 67.31.86.230
Hello Max. Just checking out this wonderful website on a break from grading papers and saw your chatroom here. I don't know how often you check this thing but when I am in New York (most of the year) with lots of web access, I will check in from time to time. With regard to reparations, the priority should always be in education and cultural development programs. Actual money should be alotted to any disadvantaged group's members to go to school or build cultural centers and such. Just giving minorities and protected groups jobs or money (unregulated pay-outs) that they may not be able to manage for any number of reasons (including lack of practice) could actually be hurting them. While causing bitterness among other groups (and I guess, we could say "Who asked for their opinion anyway, they don't know what its like to be a poor Carib!) the proverbial "handout" could also allow the recipient to prove their inability to handle the sudden windfall. I don't know about you, but if I suddenly came into $50,000, some of my thoughts would be quite constructive, but I would be constantly be fighting the urge to splurge a little with the fellas...and maybe some of the ladies too! And the moment I did, everybody (including my adversaries) would be watching (and waiting) for me to fail. They'll all say "That's the fella who got all that money! And look wha he doin wit it!" This starts a ball of discontent rolling that ends up dividing society further. Instead, building the Carib Community as a group is far more practical and sensible a project. A cultural center, a museum and library (e.g. who's going to hold on to those artifacts UWI just dug up?), a special school even, are far more reasonable, fair to more Carib people at one time, and enduring as an investment in the Carib people of T&T. Need I mention that government monies should be spent to employ local Caribs to build these edifices I have mentioned, unlike what happened with the model village in Dominica where a bunch of foreign contractors came in and built the thing and then left. Building the model village brought no work, and thus no dignity, to the local Kalinago people. They were just supposed to sit back and accept the thing like a charity case. Carib people have pride, we can't treat them like that.