Noticeably Pregnant!

 

By Mshaka

 

As most people know, there is an ongoing, heated debate about the proposed amendment to the Education Act which seeks to prohibit “noticeably pregnant” “students” from attending school.

While it is true that there is need for programs to prevent girls from becoming pregnant during their school years, this “Bill” does not seek to do that.

What it does is that it seeks to first remove the “noticeably pregnant” “girl” from her school, and second to punish her for becoming pregnant.

This Bill has nothing to with any concern for education. It has to do with adults concerns for some kind of effervescent morality… not morality having to do with teenage sex… but of teenage pregnancy.

If it was about teenage sex then the other party to the pregnancy… the boys or men… would also be targeted. But as far as I am aware, the Bill is silent about the males in the equation.

No – it is not about sexual behavior.

And, the system only punishes the girl if and when she becomes “noticeably pregnant”. If no one notices… then, hey, everything is OK. This is like the US Military’s rule about homosexuality in the US Armed Forces…. “Don’t see, don’t tell.” Keep it your homosexual orientation (or preferences) and certainly your activities… hidden!

So a young girl must hide her pregnancy! Tell them that you are just gaining weight. Wear overly large clothing. Whatever happens, don’t become “noticeably pregnant”. If you do become “noticeably pregnant” you will have to take off your uniform… and you will be banished from your school – denied of education – at least for a year… and after that – well… who knows!

Now what happens if no one notices and she never becomes “noticeably pregnant?” And let’s say she then has the baby. What then? She was never noticeably pregnant… so according to the law she should be able to stay in school after her delivery - (she was out sick…).

In the meantime, the male – the equal partner to the pregnancy - does not ever become “noticeably pregnant” and is not required to be “noticeably involved”.

Let’s say he is a fellow school mate… what then? Well, he is OK. He is not “noticeably pregnant”. He never will be… even if this is his second, third, fourth… Never mind all that… He is not “noticeably pregnant”.

And, remember that this is not about sexual activity by school aged children… this is about having a pregnant girl going to school.

One supporter of this odiferous Bill told me that “The young woman (after she becomes “noticeably pregnant”) will be a poor role model, will be a bad influence, and will send the wrong message to the other girls in the school!

Huh? What? What is the wrong message that she is sending?

Since the concern is not about sex… it has to be about not becoming “noticeably pregnant”. So her classmates, her friends… and the other girls around them… can be sexually active… as many of her friends probably are.

All they have to do is to just make sure that they don’t become pregnant. And if they do get pregnant… make sure that they are never “noticeably pregnant”.

Now… in the meantime the boys can go on having sex and fathering babies…! And the if they are older… and the girl is younger… then everyone turns a blind eye to that Gargantuan issue… Does the Bill address repercussions for them?

What is the answer to this situation?

• There are only four issues to be addressed:Address the issue of teenage sexuality by developing prevention and intervention programs. There are tons of blue ribbon, research driven, proven, best-practices programs available worldwide. We even had one in Antigua years ago when the Youth Project (on Factory Road) was initiated.
• If a girl becomes pregnant there should be a program that triggers a plethora of health, social and educational services to wrap around her. She should not lose out on educational services because she is 15 and pregnant. If anything… that should trigger greater concern for than for her peers because of her pending responsibility for another life. If the government opts for an alternative education program – it should be robust, well funded and seamlessly integrated with health and social services. And – every effort should be made to reduce any stigmatization that could come with such programs. In other words – there should be a strong focus on conscious-raising public awareness campaigns that highlight the importance of public support for these two children… mother and child.
• Intensive wrap-around social and health services should be developed for the mother and baby once she has given birth. Such services would include parenting classes. Her education should be continued until she completes her secondary education. I would also submit that career guidance counseling should also be provided.
• Finally, the issue of the males involved should be addressed. Steps taken should include legal, social, educational or psychological interventions. The legal issues are clear. However, school-age fathers… (who are going to school) should be involved in parenting classes along with the teenage mother!

I find the idea of putting “noticeably pregnant” in a Bill repulsive.

I find the idea of leaving the decision up to the School’s principal similarly obnoxious. Why? Well… I cannot imagine any of today’s bible-toting, bible-quoting principals making a decision to keep a “noticeably pregnant” young girl in their sight! So let’s not leave it up to them!

I suggest that a lot more thought must go into any decisions that are being made on these issues. There are many important things to consider. But the most important has to do with the young mother to be and her unborn baby – whether she is “noticeably pregnant” or not.

Direct Result of Immigration Policy

 

By Mshaka

 

Every day when I listen to the radio and television news… it feels as though I am listening to accounts from Jamaica.

I remember about ten years ago, a friend of mine was contemplating a potential contract that would have had him doing significant work in Jamaica. He would have had to interface with residents in some of Jamaica’s poorest neighborhoods. He was seriously considering it because of the “nice pay per day” that he was going to receive for a six month contract.

He asked his wife. She objected. He asked his kids… they objected. He asked his mom and dad. They objected. He still persevered and was about to go… a man has to do what a man has to do. Well… he almost had a family mutiny on his hands.

He finally decided that he would not go. Since then he has been to Iraq and Somalia. Recently, he had another opportunity to go to Jamaica to do similar work for an international agency. He again decided not to go!

Where is this guy from? His wife is Jamaican. His parents are Jamaican. His oldest son is Jamaican. He…. is Jamaican – from Negril! Has he been back to Jamaica… Yes… he did the tourist thing – he went to the North Coast where all the hotels are… with a brief… hurried trip to his home town.

He talks about the high levels of senseless crimes in his country… where apparently no one feels safe. He talks about the criminals who have no respect for law and order. He talks about the fact that people who live there everyday feel a sense of being bombarded and imprisoned in “dem own yard”.

He talks about the fact that ordinary citizens of good conscience are now carrying various types of weapons… to defend themselves.

He talks about the fact that many women don’t feel safe. He says that, according to family members who are still there, neighborhoods seem like war zones…

He says that children are growing up with this sense of being traumatized on a daily basis… rapes, gunfire, stabbings, armed robberies, political violence, murders…

As he talks and I listen… I begin to get goose bumps… This sounds like Antigua (not yet Barbuda).

My mind begins to drift… How did Antigua get like Jamaica? I remember growing up in Perry Bay… Tinning Village to be exact… We had our doors and windows open and only closed them for rain – or the mosquitoes… or the awful smell from Tom’s ‘night soil’ carts!

Now… it doesn’t matter where you live… you close your windows and doors, and not only lock them… but put on padlocks and turn on the alarm.

Probably the fastest growing business in Antigua is the security business.

How did we get this way?

There is only one answer… All those things were imported from Jamaica and elsewhere.

All of this is a direct result of the myopic, treacherous and criminal policy of the former ALP government who were tricked by the Guyanese idea to import voters into Antigua to boost their diminishing support among Antiguans.

This is also a direct result of the weak kneed, snail-paced, and indecisive policy of the current UPP Government who for political reasons are afraid – have been afraid to develop a firm policy towards immigration.

It is a mistake that the UPP Government will pay dearly for.

Both Governments… the former and the current are responsible for the wave of endemic violence that we are now seeing and the fear that has embraced our beautiful island – where supposedly - “the beach is just the beginning…“  (Of what? But that’s another story!)

Now the violence has reached our beaches and impacting our one-industry economy!

I know that some will make the argument that some of the perpetrators of these criminal acts are our own Antiguan people. I agree.

But….

Just like many of our Antiguan brothers and sisters have adopted the nefarious, ghetto, ‘xyznklitzvt’ behaviors, songs, mindset, attitudes, dress and other sub-cultural artifacts from Jamaica (and Guyana)… A small set  of Antiguans have also adopted the criminal sub-culture and criminal psychological mindsets from these countries.

I also know that some of you will make the argument that some Antiguans have brought back their criminal lifestyles from the United States. The trouble with that argument is that we don’t have any statistics on how many of those people have been deported by to Antigua.

What we do know… is that with the massive tidal wave of Jamaicans and Guyanese (and others) who have come to Antigua… have come Tom, Dick & Dirty Harry – and many of them from the criminal underbelly of those countries.

What do we do now?

Our immigration policy needs to be fixed right now. Every crime… every robbery… every rape… every murder… I lay squarely on the doorstep of the politicians… past and present.

Every delay in fixing the immigration policy… every delay in ensuring that every person in Antigua is properly documented (nationals and foreigners)… every hesitation to do the right thing… for whatever reason… every delay adds to the number of crimes… the number of rapes…

UPP – do the right thing! Fix the immigration policy now. Re-election or not! Antiguans are living in fear. Our women live in fear. Many don’t sleep well. Our children are hurting… the violence and the negative foreign live styles are impacting them too!

UPP – Fix immigration now. Stop being afraid of the foreign vote! Good people – nationals and foreigners will not only understand – they will agree. The foreigners among us are subjected to the same violence and crimes and rapes as Antiguans are. They are suffering too!

Mr. Spencer – leadership is about courage. It is about doing the right thing! Close those immigration loopholes now! Then set about documenting every breathing person in Antigua!

I am placing this crime spree, violence debacle, and the waves of rapes right on the doorstep of both leaders… both parties…

Who else can we hold accountable?

Who else can fix this problem?

Antigua’s Complicity

By Marcus M. Mottley, Ph.D.

 

I read with interest that a group of people are trying to block Antigua and Barbuda’s effort to get assistance from the IMF. As I understand it, they are charging that “The Pirate of the Caribbean” would not have been able to conduct the massive fraud that he is charged with if Antigua had not been “complicit” in the execution of his purportedly fraudulent activities.

In other words, Antigua’s ‘complicity’ allowed him to do what he did!

I agree!

Let me say it again. I unequivocally, unapologetically, unhesitatingly – agree that Antigua was complicit.

Not only was Antigua (not Barbuda) complicit, but most Antiguans were complicit.

Antiguans were complicit to the point that very few people questioned where he was getting the money from. Thousands of Antiguans benefitted personally and individually from his loot. Hundreds of them ‘backed in their trucks’ to get truckloads of money. People flocked to work for wages which were triple or quadruple what they could get elsewhere.

Politicians, lawyers, civil servants (high ranking civil servants), skilled trade professionals ran up there to get some of the Pirate’s booty.

Politicians from both sides benefitted… personally and party-wide. But it was those guys in red who cleaned up. It is purported that personal housing projects were built from the booty. The politicians were not only complicit… they were responsible… they should have asked questions and found answers rather than pretending to be blind.

And the lawyers… they got dirty rich. One of them… one on the blue side… that came from the red side… we know got a million dollar check just for putting together some papers! And this was money that Antiguans had to pay back to the Pirate! This lawyer – through – the Pirate… got a million dollars of the people’s money just for preparing documents. And even after being elevated by the people… his law firm continued to represent and protect the Pirate. He… his law firm… and the other law firms were complicit.

And those cricketers… years ago some of them did the right thing regarding playing in South Africa… But this time around… they all but prostituted themselves for the Pirate’s money. They were complicit.

Oh… and by the way… let’s not forget those Antiguans who it is purported robbed the Pirate of some of his booty: construction materials, construction equipment, and much more.  They too, it is charged… cleaned him out… They benefitted. They were complicit.

Generally, most people in Antigua, were happy that the Pirate chose Antigua for his operations. Of course he constantly threatened to move to this or that island. And every time he did that… Antiguans gave him more land and more love.

Of course, I am rubbing salt into the wounds of the now disenchanted and depressed Antiguans who had purposely turned blind eyes to what went on.

Did I turn a blind eye? Was I also complicit? The answer is a resounding NO!

Well… maybe… maybe I was complicit. I should have done more… The day that it was announced that the Pirate was under scrutiny… was a sad day for me.

Why? Because although it vindicated what I had been saying for seven years… I thought I should have done more… been more vocal… been on the air… wrote in the newspapers…

But… then I went to my blog and I re-read every article that referenced the Pirate… and I felt a little better… not good… just a little better. I had done something… not enough… but something…

If you conduct a search of this blog… you will find “tons” of references to the “Pirate”. I continuously asked questions about the Pirate and his activities. I criticized the government, the opposition and all those Antiguans who went shuffling to him head bent and hat in hand.

I lambasted the lawyers, the cricketers, the politicians and professionals (some of them good friends) – who lowered their principles, put on sun shades, and worked to prop him up… and fatten their pockets.

The evidence was there that something was amiss. Lots of it: Which billionaire business man do you know develops a two bit landscaping business competing with our local weed-wacker carrying yards men?

Which billionaire – who got his billions through big business – would develop some little mediocre housing project that doesn’t – didn’t… couldn’t make any money?

Which hard working billionaire businessman would throw money at cricket… the only sport in the world that doesn’t and wont ever make money - at least not in this part of the world…?

Which savvy business person would go into a business where you know you are going to lose millions of dollars? Who in their right minds… having made had earned dollars would throw it away on and in the airline business?

Which savvy business minded person would employ fifty or more grounds-men to take care of a cricket field? A field that – yes its pleasing to the eyes… but it doesn’t produce any income!

One day I watched those guys on that field… and that was long before any ‘big’ matches were played there. They were at least 20 of them… sitting around… watching the sprinklers in action. Every now and then they would get up… examine tufts of grass… pull out a worm or two… (or something) and go back to sit and sip in the shade. At least 20 people… getting paid to do absolutely nothing for an activity that made the Pirate absolutely no money!

It dawned on me that this Pirate had money to throw away. And was throwing it away. No one who works hard and earns their money – throws it away like that. No one. No where in the world will you find rich business people doing that. My assessment seven years ago was that… something was wrong…. something was amiss…

And… all those Antiguans – politicians, lawyers, civil servants, professionals, tradesmen, labourers… refused to ask questions…. or seek answers. They just lined up and and went shuffling… knees bent, head bowed… hat in hand… 

They were all complicit. I have said so for seven years. And, I am saying so now.

They were not only complicit. They benefitted.

Let me change that. We benefitted. The nation benefitted. The nation was complicit.

Lessons From A Sage & A Gentleman

By Marcus M. Mottley, Ph.D.


Sage: A kind and wise older person; one who is distinguished for wisdom and sound judgment.

Gentleman: A man who: is polite and respectful of others; acts with high character; demonstrates good and courteous conduct.

A Sage and a Gentleman.

I remember being coached by such a man when I attended the St. Joseph's Academy. We were being prepared to travel to Dominica to compete in our annual tournament with the St. Mary's Academy.

I was impressed then by the demeanor of my cricket coach. He was knowledgeable and a good teacher. He knew all aspects of the game. And he knew how to coach it. I guess there were others who had similar qualifications... not many... but there were certainly a few of them around.

But none had his demeanor... his presence... his quiet authority... his grace in speech... his gentle yet firm approach to coaching... his soft yet - on occasion- stern guidance.. his fluid, definitive, subtle, and balanced demonstrations of how to handle bat and ball... and most importantly... his polite and courteous demeanor... to us... teenagers.

He never raised his voiced... he changed his tone... soft to firm... gentle to stern. He never cursed or spoke a harsh word... (although there were many times when such a reaction would have been understood - based on the behaviors of some of us)... he was always calm and balanced.

And, I felt back then, as I do now that I was in the presence of someone special who had something special. One could feel the inner peace and calm of the man, the quietness which emanated from the inside and radiated on the outside: unruffled... unperturbed... gently yet fiercely focused on the task at hand.

And, even now, as I reflect back on those days... so many years ago... when I was sixteen... I can feel his presence.

And I know now... as I felt then, that cricket was really not what thus true sage and gentleman was teaching us...

Cricket was the medium. But the lessons were instructions in life... on how to live life wisely... This is best summarized as follows:

Our character would be weighed -
Not by how many runs we made...
But the way our attitudes and behaviors were displayed
Would determine our long lasting life's grade...

He was demonstrating through his own persona - through his behaviors... through his demeanor... not just how to play on the field of cricket - but how to be in the field of life...

Use sound judgment. Be polite and respectful to others. Act with high character. Be of good conduct.

Without me knowing it... those lessons from Sir Sydney Walling... have resonated through me for over forty years.

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Our Sage Leaders!

By Marcus M. Mottley, Ph.D.


There are many fields of study that I love. Chief among them – Philosophy, Psychology, Physics and … Politics. Interesting – Mottley’s Four “P”s!

These days whether I think about Antigua or America – or the rest of the world – all four “P”s stand front and center. However, you will agree that Politics become the main focus. And what is happening on the local, regional and global scale – in Antigua and in America – is disturbing, very disturbing. At least, I am disturbed.

When I am disturbed, I tend to turn first to Philosophy, then to Psychology and sometimes Physics. So because I am disturbed, I turned to one of my principal teachers: Lao Tzu – the ancient Chinese sage and philosopher.

Of course there is not enough space in this brief discourse to do full justice to his teachings on the body ‘politik’. So I will limit myself to one or two of his thoughts on the matter of “politics” that I thing are worthy of note and which relate to current local and global political developments.
First of all as an aside… the ideal country according to Lao Tzu – “is a small country with a few inhabitants!”

That makes sense to me… less people… less strife and conflict… less stress… less immigration! Antigua used to be like that, but our un-sage-like leaders thought it sage to increase our population with people from everywhere – even from China! Now we have more people… more strife and more conflict…

One of Lao Tzu’s central tenets is his belief about the core tendency of human beings is towards degeneration. This, he claimed is an ‘inherent tendency in human nature’. My comment is that his observations are spot on… just look around you… look into your own heart… listen to the radio… watch TV… listen to the news… degeneration all around! Murders, stealing, political corruption, executive greed, war over land and territory, brothers against brothers, sisters against sisters, religious elements against religious elements… all over the world… including Antigua and Barbuda.

So what is his recommendation to deal with this core human tendency towards degeneration? “Political Authorities (call Sages) should be set up to rescue society and bring peace!

But Lao Tzu recognizes that his prescription for peace could be a proscription for more degeneration if we do not have the pure and genuine ‘sages’. Therefore his recommendation is paradoxical… to say the least. I will deal with this paradox in another article since I want to focus on the ‘sages’.

The ‘sages’ should reflect the essence of the ‘Tao’. Now here we have a term that would essential take a long text to fully do justice to. I will try to explain it simply. The Tao is that which is a part of everything… It is said to be analogous to water… is in everything… not necessarily seen as water… yet influences the world around us… and in us. The essence of the Tao is goodness. One other aspect of the Tao is important… it is un- and in-describable!

So our political authorities… or sages… should reflect the Tao. What are some of their characteristics:

• They love the people and have as a goal to help people cultivate themselves to reflect the nature of the Tao;
• They have no individual wants and desires (so they are not using their position to empower themselves);
• They love quietude; And in this they are calm like still water;
• Have as a goal to banish the institutions which abuse power and lead to corruption and add to the degeneration of the people;

There are other characteristics – but those are in the same vein… lack of desire for power, deep respect and understanding of nature (the Tao), love and respect for the people and a commitment to banish those institutions and forces that prey on the weaknesses inherent in the people.

So… we need Sage Leaders… in Antigua and in America.

Fortunately, I think we have got rid of two un-sage-like leaders… in Antigua and in America… those two leaders with B’s in their last names.

And we have found two very sage-like leaders – with B’s in their first name: Baldwin Spencer and Barack Obama.

They are both truly as Sage-like as we are likely to ever get! Let's keep, celebrate and give them a chance to lead from their heart.

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