Do As I Say Not As I Do.

I have written before about my fascination with the way people will do the hard thing of following a logic to its conclusion only to not apply the logic to themselves or their own behaviour. Barbados is not unique (one cannot be VERY unique), but it gives better examples because I am living there. All of this adds colour to life, but is still curious.

We have discussions about xenophobia, where commentators deny that it exists in the island, and then they lambaste people for being foreigners or for 'not being like us'. Pass the dictionary, Mavis.

You hear opining about 'we are for free speech and free expression...let all tongues speak and all hands write', yet the only speech and expressions that are tolerated (meaning that which is usually accepted with gracious commentary) is that which is in line with the accepted view. Where's that red pencil, Charlie?

You have calls for people to act as adults and not like children, then you spot pettiness that only has its place amongst the under 10s. In my case, I noticed that another Bajan blog has done a 'you're not my friend anymore' and removed a link to my blog (I still retain a link to theirs because it's a blog that may interest other readers and sharing is caring). So after a 'why cant we just all get along?' ditty was followed by 'pack up your Georgie bundle and go long', we get 'we go cut you loose'. This has to have a lot of tee-hee to it, as it suggests that curious people were actually linking through to my blog. Weasels! So, now, Sherlock, do you think there are enough literate and intelligent people who can find my blog without the 'magic key'? Do I hear a 'Duh'? Mummy, can I have my hankie, please?

I wonder if Barbados is the land that time forgot. Bless 'em. Now that they have a pop star everything that she does is under scrutiny.Problem is, everything she does seems to be out in the open and hard to avoid. Who needs to scrutinize? Now, she has gonna topless inna magazini italiana (Vogue). Showing alla offa her bodi. Then we heara alla about her private bizniz witha Christopher Brown and the paparazzi are having a field day again. Did he beat her? He says he cannot remember. Does that suggest that he did it often and therefore it is all a blur? What did he say to Larry King? "When I hear about the police reports, I don't know what to think," Brown told CNN's Larry King, in a programme to be broadcast on Wednesday (2 September). "That's not who I am as a person. It's like crazy to me." (See Guardian report.) So, it was wrongful charges, CB? C'mon, dudester. Do betta! But, it's in keeping with foolishness. The country's PM had named Ms. Fenty as an ambassador for youth and culture some 18 months ago, with diplomatic passport to boot (or is that booty? or now even boots?), and now all are stuck with that. THE role model? People like to show prudery but when it comes to one of yer own who is so pretty and nice, let prudery take a back seat. Where are my worry beads, Stavros? Cover your eyes, children.

The new school year has begun and already the hem line ruler is out. I know that when the next incident is reported of bad behaviour by school children on buses the first matter will be to separate those whose hemlines were too short and whose trousers were below their waist. That way, we can focus on the bad apples, as we know that the correctly dressed children are paragons of virtue and should be left to go home and get on with their homework while someone finds a tamarind switch to beat the living daylights out of the miscreants. Cleavdon Brathwaite what's taking so long to cut that switch? Tschoupse!

I'm going to meet a Bajan of no mean intelligence later this morning. We are going to head into deep cultural territory and knock each other out about what to do with West Indies cricket. I want to scrap the regional entity, he wants to rebuild it. But, I will ask him if he sees these Bajanery things differently. He has had the mixed (or is it mis-?) fortune of living in h-America for a while, in that Caribbean melting pot of Brooklyn. I know that when I meet him he will not give me the h-American treatment: he will know that I am not from from Jamaica, Queens, New York, or from the skiing village of Jamaica, Vermont (maybe we will need to capture the place and make it our cool runaway). I may have to dust off my skis and head there this winter. I can read the headlines now: 'Jamaican comes from Jamaica to Jamaica. Whatcha make of that?'

Kerrie Symmonds Sets A New Course?

I do not want to say too much about why Senator Kerrie Symmonds resigned yesterday (see Nation report): he was reported in yesterday's papers to have been summonsed to appear in court on assault charges relating to his wife. By late afternoon, the man had done what many will feel is the right thing. But, there will be some who feel otherwise.

To me, the story is huge. Caribbean politicians do not resign for much. In fact, they seem to be more Teflon-like than others of the same breed. They certainly do not resign for things like wife/woman beating--a sport where the region could produce many Olympic champions.

In fact, integrity and self-sacrifice are characteristics often burned out of the body and soul of most Caribbean public figures. Just look around at the debacles and the people still in post with no hint of accountability facing them. Do I dare mention cricket? Well, Coach Dyson was fired yesterday, but why so long to get to that point? Anyway, let me not touch the cricket apple cart.

I found revealing the words of PM David Thompson (in the same newspaper report):

Prime Minister David Thompson, in remarks to reporters yesterday afternoon, said: "I once thought that Kerrie Symmonds was a rising political star.

"He even did his in-service [training] with me and I thought I had imparted [some knowledge and advice]. (But) look at what has happened today . . .

When a friend (a former diplomat and experienced international public servant) and I read it together this morning, he just made the dagger gesture. "He's done him," he said.

Wife beating is alright...if it is at Scrabble, or she asks for you to swat the fly from her face...or if you are playing tennis and her imitation of Stephie Graf cannot touch your impression of Andre Agassi. Beyond that, you are on dangerous ground.

But let us get something absolutely straight any body taking a hand or object to another person or striking them with foul and abusive language is also standing in the same dock. We are fools if we think the road to true happiness is the saccharin we see in films or on TV. Relationships take hard work to stay their course and for all to be sweetness. Couples that truly love each other must find a way for that love to come through and for negative things to go away. But it can take time and much effort and sweat and tears, but hopefully no blood.

I hope that Mr. Symmonds is truly remorseful if he is guilty as charged. I will not go to the case of Rihanna and Chris Brown. I will not stand and watch anyone condone violence and least of all a victim.

The radio stations seem to have taken a good cue and since yesterday I have heard calypsos about domestic violence ringing the air. Cruel to be kind? TC had gone into the Crop Over finals with her song entitled "Stop Domestic Violence". It did not win, but she should demand a recount.

Have We All Been Played For Fools?

A blog is meant to be somewhere to express ideas that are of the moment. A blogger is also not usually speaking for anyone other than him- or herself. So, I will be brief. I feel an amazing sense of despair from the news I got last night that Barbados' singing princess, Rihanna (Robyn Fenty), was married to Chris Brown over the past few days.

The past few weeks have given us revelations that Mr. Brown had assaulted Ms. Fenty, during a dispute on the night of the Grammy Awards that began in a rented car when the latter found a long text message on Mr. Brown's cell phone from another woman, with whom he had had a relationship (reportedly sexual). I don't know when that relationship was, or if it is ongoing. Mr. Brown was initially alleged to have assaulted Ms. Fenty brutally, with punches, scratches and bites on her head, face and hands. Some of the injuries had been seen thanks to a leaked photograph from the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). Ms. Fenty reportedly sought the comfort of her family in Barbados, while Mr. Brown seemed to get on with life much as if nothing had happened--there were pictures of him out on jet skis.

Outrage at Mr. Brown's actions had been expressed by many who know him better than me, including fellow pop stars Usher, and Jay-Z (who is also a mentor for Ms. Fenty). Their anger was clear and there were at least implicit threats to Mr. Brown.

Expressions of sympathy as well as expressions of anger greeted Ms. Fenty, but my impression is that on balance there was more sympathy. Some hoped that she would seize this moment to champion the blight of domestic violence. Perhaps, surprising to some, she remained silent regarding her own alleged suffering.

Ms. Fenty's family came into the spotlight, especially her father, whose public image had been bashed on many occasions. I heard from someone who was present how he had conducted his press interviews with US media outlets long distance from a well known local eatery.

The history of physical abuse by Mr. Brown's father and Ms. Fenty's father seeped out, not necessarily as justifications, but as understandable background. There was a chain of events and the links had not been broken.

People in Barbados, however, raised more clearly concerns that nothing would come of this incident, recalling a well-known spat between the couple at a local night club, Club Extreme. How considerable damage had been done to their room at a local major hotel chain. How cars had been damaged in moment of rage between the couple. How other major bust ups had occurred, and so on.

Stories quickly seeped out that in fact Ms. Fenty had never come back to Barbados. But also that Mr. Brown had come to Barbados. Confusion. Deception? That she had spent time in a resort in Mexico recovering. That the couple were in a process of reconciliation at the home of one P Diddy, another mega pop star.

Yesterday, LAPD Attorney's Office laid two felony charges against Mr. Brown of assault and making criminal threats (see CBC report). The sworn statement by Los Angeles Police Detective DeShon Andrews, in which he detailed what allegedly happened in the early morning hours of February 8 is a story of incredible violence. But clearly, not enough to offset the 'kiss and make' up.

Then, last night, as a group of friends met for their weekly lime, the news came out that the couple had been married recently. One of our group placed a call to someone who knows 'Robyn' well and got confirmation that the ceremony had been at the weekend. Gasps followed. Words that I cannot write here were uttered by learned men. Dismay was expressed by most of us. I joked that I would not be surprised to hear that Ms. Fenty is pregnant. This morning, I have seen at least one report that says the same thing. I said "We have all be played for fools." A cynical part of me speculated about how this could also have been a bizarre and morbid pop industry set-up.

I am not a Bajan, so do not express national outrage. I wonder how this 'daughter of the soil' sits comfortably as a social ambassador for her country. I wont pretend that I can understand Ms. Fenty and wonder about those around her who offer her advice and guidance. I wonder who really is her friend and who is really just there for their piece of the lucrative pie that she has become.

I will let those who feel they can defend either or both of these young people can go ahead. I think it's a nonsense to call them children, though they are very young. If their youth is now a problem, then it must have been a problem before: they are older now. Are they mature? To my mind, not very. Are they misguided or badly guided? I would say very certainly. Are they mercenaries? I will ponder that, as some suggested that the wedding was about 'saving careers' and noting that wives cannot testify in certain cases against the husband. More of that will come out as the police proceed with their case.

All of this leaves a really bad taste in my mouth.