Tragedy Compounded (Revised)

Tragedy Compounded

Just as the high command of the expanded Homeland Security style security force operation in the capital city was congratulating itself and its "troops" on the 'success' of the occupation manoeuvre, news broke that shattered the exuberant clatter.

News media and social media were abuzz with the news of the discovery on Ash Wednesday morning of the body of a slain woman described as Asian in the Queen's Park Savannah in an area in which masqueraders of the 'big bands' rested after coming off the big stage.

It turns out that this discovery by a homeless man was of the latest murder victim in the recent spate of sharply increased toll of violent and deadly crime largely gripping the capital city from the first minutes of the New Year.

This victim, Asami Nagakiya, a young Japanese musician who arrived here a month earlier to participate in our cultural activities as a pannist with the Silver Stars orchestra, had been strangled and left in the twisted roots of a giant tree.

Yet another foreigner had become victim in our chronic infliction of murderous and violent criminality. This victim, unlike other foreigners in recent time, was not in Tobago, but in our capital.

The potential for international shame for our nation is no less because this particular tragic and brutal slaying of a visitor to our shores did not occur on our 'tourist' destination island. This crime adds to the killings of several returning nationals and foreign visitors in vehicular accidents in the days heading up to the Carnival celebration.

What is most tragic is that the young woman was so filled with love for our national instrument that she journeyed half way around the globe annually to participate in its largest competitive event - Panorama.

The claimed success of the huge operation by law enforcement which was being hailed by the National Security was also jolted into reality by several murders during the 2 days of carnival on both islands.

INCONVENIENT INCIDENT

In much the same way, the unfortunate discovery of the body of Asami bearing possible defensive wounds may have been an inconvenient reality in the midst of the chest thumping of the security chiefs.

Immediately, the now usual flood of speculation (in the absence of the most necessary elements of evidence or truth) began on the social media.

I cautioned in a post "My sympathy to her family and loved ones. 
I hope that all who are eager to pounce on this unfortunate situation in the hope of scoring cheap partisan political points can, for once, resist. 
One set of supporters will be eager to "prove" that the massive military exercises were a success. The other will be as eager to claim otherwise. 
The truth of the cause of her death must be demanded and based in fact only justified conclusions must be drawn. 
To do otherwise would be the greatest disrespect that can be done to her memory."

My plea was met with the ire of a blogger who admonished me for "petty thinking".

And by the time the sun rose and the newspapers were on the streets, the goodly Mayor of the Capital City was berating the "immorality of women" 'engaging in sub cultures' etc., essentially blaming the tragic killing of a young talented woman who came to enrich her own cultural life with ours on the victim.

This sexist and holier-than-thou position won the just condemnation of broad sections of our society.

The outcry was powerful enough for the Mayor to issue a contrived apology while still claiming the essential validity of his most inappropriate and inhumane utterances earlier.

His Political Leader, as has become his fashion, simply expressed hope that the Mayor would apologises for his 'indiscretion' in much the same way he excused the soliciting of state funds from an enterprise under her portfolio by his Energy Minister or the self-serving actions of another Minister in her previous Ministerial portfolio in the last administration of his party.

The Mayor's concern with 'immorality', however does not extend to his senior Parliamentary colleagues actions appearing in several photographs distributed on social media with his hand placed on the abdomen of a "scantily clad" female masquerade  in one instance or 'wining on the bumper' of another in another.

Nor did his moral rectitude prompt him to distance himself from sitting on the Executive of a National sporting body while its 'adviser' acquired gifts of excellence centres and other wealth in what has become known as a history of corrupt enrichment in the international body of that sport.

MURDER BAD FOR CARNIVAL BUSINESS

To fall in line with the inane insensitive and inhumane response to Asami demise another blogger evidently connected with the big factory mas 'industry', the monopoly purveyors of the 'carnival experience' had this to say"
 I just hope she wasn't raped/murdered because that would be tragic for our country in the international news. Yes, we've already acknowledged that a human life was lost (duh) and YES it is indeed tragic to her family... but for those that are not involved in the tourism/carnival business/industry would not understand the impact this would have on such!

I was moved to respond in this way:
Your "concern" for the " industry" in the face of a tragic loss of life is just so Inhumane. 
Sounds like anti-social reaction to the mounting toll of violent crime that describes the victims as "collateral damage". 
I hope that the majority of us never lose our humanity for the sake of the almighty dollar. 
We ARE all involved!

The similarity in the insensitivity and lack of concern for the tragic killing of a young woman between this mas entrepreneur and the Mayor is not incidental as they are both of the same big business commodifying stock.

The same big business band producers who import ready made costumes of the most meagre yardage, now assembled in Chinese low wage shops, and promote the skimpy costumes for women as mas do not even warrant mention for promoting this trend in our Carnival by our moral Mayor.

This incident brings to our attention once again the contest within our Carnival between monopoly right and public right in the sphere of the culture. This contest will only be settled with the success of the public right to the people's festival of Trinidad Carnival once again.

The very mass deployment of 'security forces' in circumstances in which, like in Times Square on Old Years night there is no 'credible threat' on a large scale to public safety also serves the monopoly interest and must be examined closely in light of recent permanent deployments in 'communities throughout the country' according to a release from the PM's office a couple of weeks ago.