Back in the sister isle. I wonder if the residents of Tobago like to be referred as 'the sister isle' or prefer to be called 'Tobago' or 'the twin island state' or it really does not matter. The issue of Tobago and its call for self government is on the parliamentary agenda and I would think that having a PMOTT from Tobago and a commitment to have this issue dealt with we will be seeing something happening shortly.
Can Tobago get self government, be able to raise its own revenues to the tune of $2.5 BN TT on an annual basis, have its own laws, it's own economic zone, ownership of mineral rights and a host of other issues dealing with self government? Of course who determines this? Is this a Tobago only decision or does a resident of Maraval have equal say as to the future of Trinidad and Tobago?
There are many different views and I don't think that it's going to be that simple, by any means.
I may not be able to boast of being a descendent of the Holy Prophet but recent findings into my ancestry show that on my father's side I am a direct descendant of Ramon Garcia de Cadiz. Ramon just happened to be the guy that framed the then Declaration of Independence of Venezuela from Spain in the early 1800's. He was a lawyer. He is a signatory to the original document, one of ten persons. I am still doing my research on his coming to Trinidad for a period, in very early 1800, and leaving his son here and returning to Venezuela. We can only speculate. The goings on in Venezuela are indeed very troubling. You have a country that fought a war for their independence from Spain, ended up with military rule, dictatorships, oligarchy rule, populists leadership and what you have now. A country rich beyond imagination with natural resources and its people yet currently living in turmoil all because of one thing, politicians.
What is going to be our future? It's very difficult to look at a country like T&T and see the huge potential facing you and yet because of the politics you see the opportunities being shoved aside and wasted. The young, bright brains being told that you have no future here because the politics will not allow you to participate and contribute to the building of a real nation. Go somewhere else, we don't want you and your 'gung ho' attitude because you live on the wrong side of a river. I have never heard nor seen the level of racial divide as I see today. The politicians are having a field day dividing the country. North versus south versus the sister isle! It's on all sides make no mistake.
The two leaders of our great nation are set to meet tomorrow. I welcome, always, discussion and discourse especially when it comes to governance. Can these two leaders make it happen, I doubt it because of the history of the two people. A lot has been said over the years, the venom coming from the various quarters, that have nothing to do with ordinary people trying to survive on a daily basis, will make any meaningful result impossible.
Once again the politicians make a holy mess of things.
I see that the Ag Commissioner of Police is being appointed yet again, for the tenth time, to act as the Commish. And we want to present ourselves to the world as a country that is serious about being a leader in matters of Caricom and steelband and LNG and Bourdain. The sooner we wake up to the fact that nobody is waiting on us to become anything, the better for Trinidad and Tobago, we have it in us, the people, to be an example to the world of what a real country can be.
We have one slight problem, the politicians.
I am enjoying a lovely calm 'sister isle' night and really believe that we have it in us to build a real country, together. The old dividing politics, and politicians, are no longer relevant and will die a natural death because the new generations can see way beyond them and want nothing to do with them.
Sleep well people, tomorrow we have a nation to see about! I have no words of wisdom or direct quotes from Ramon but I am sure in 1800 he had the same desire to see and live in a country that he wanted to be proud of.
Adios!
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