IIAAHR

We were rocking and rolling this week on the Rock. Out of the blue, we had the PMOTT send a communique to her Excellency identifying changes to his Cabinet. I must say whereas I always likened our PMOTT to the POTUS, he showed that he was very different because he never threatened beforehand to fire or shift any of his Cabinet Ministers. The POTUS, however, would have spent the week tweeting informing the world of the impending doom.
So back to the Rock,

• we had three Ministers shifted, including the PMOTT ( he still retains the PMOTT position)
• one new appointment, 
• two demotions,
• then within a 24hr period, one firing.

All of this days after the PMOTT confirmed his full support for his Cabinet Ministers claiming he had full confidence in all of them.
People were still calling for the head of the Minister of National Security because of a court matter in a New York jurisdiction that somehow ended up with the case matter being sealed with a gag order placed on both parties. One party, however, was not so 'gaggy' and started to claim his innocence much to the chagrin of the other party.

But then the great news of yet another gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Australia. That brings us to 2 gold and 1 silver. Not bad for a sporting event that represents over 2.2 billion of the earth's population. Good going people of the Rock!

Then we come to the judgment by the High Court on the issue of 'buggery'. It is a word that first appears in English in 1330. The other word used in the same context, of course, is 'sodomy'. It is all about anal sex (AS). In the UK it was punishable by death up until 1861. This obviously was taken very seriously. Not unlike oral sex (OS) which is still illegal in 18 states in the USA, including states like Florida and the capital, Washington D.C. Wait, Washington? was that not where Bill Clinton lived for a couple years?
So back to the Rock, the LBGTQI community had a small, but the very boisterous crowd, at a rally on Tuesday with the judgment being read on Thursday. Of course, like any right-thinking legal luminarie, the judgment was in favor of the community. One up for those right-thinking people who understand the real issue of human rights. Of course, the religious right is all over the place predicting the wrath of the many Gods who will descend upon us. It is as though people were not into 'buggery' when the Red House burnt down during the water riots in 1903, or the Butler Riots of the '30's, the 1970 Revolution or the 1990 coup attempt. If an issue like AS was able to bring fire and brimstone upon us then it would have happened already. This is going on since Adam and Eve had three sons, Cain, Abel and Seth. Genesis 4.
Another take on the whole issue of the religious right is the fact that none of the registered religious bodies pays any tax, whatsoever, whilst members of the LBGTQI all pay taxes. If you do not pay taxes is it then you have more rights than others or should it be the other way around?
At the end of the day, it is a human rights issue and has nothing to do with religion. If your religion preaches a certain doctrine then you follow that religion, you do have the right to freedom of worship. It is good to note that in the Church of Latter Day Saints, the Mormons, only up until 1978 were black members allowed to become ordained in their priesthood.
So, you see how things work, it's always what works better for us and not the common good.

In 2009 we were the hosts of the 54 member Commonwealth grouping. We did in fact sign to the 'Trinidad and Tobago Affirmation of Commonwealth Values and Principals' which in part stated,

'Human rights: reaffirming our commitment to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and human rights covenants and instruments; and recalling our belief that equality and respect for protection and promotion of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights for all without discrimination on any grounds, including the right to development, are foundations of peaceful, just and stable societies, and that these rights are universal, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated and cannot be implemented selectively'. 

It is all about human rights (IIAAHR). Full stop!

In the Charter of Core Values and Principals of the Commonwealth we have also signed to;

• 2. Human Rights
• 4. Tolerance, Respect, and Understanding
• 5. Freedom of Expression
• 12. Gender Equality

among other values and principals.

We agreed with these values and principals hence the reason we actually signed these agreements. If we do not subscribe to them then simply tear them up and throw them away. Stop fooling ourselves and the rest of the world that we are so forward thinking if we are not.
If only we could deal with 'dotishness' the same same, outlaw it.


The PMOTT is off to sunny London for the next Meeting of the Commonwealth Heads of Government. What will he say if asked about the issue of the LGBTQI community? I don't think he could 'bouf' up the media as though he is in St Anns, so we shall see.

All in all the Rock is coming out and that is a good thing!

Keep calm people, good night and good luck!