OF NOISE, CCJ AND UNC

The Police and the Transport Division should seek to clamp down on the all too many motorists, who drive around at nights, with car stereos blasting away, apparently intent on disturbing as many householders as possible.

In addition to making residents uncomfortable, these motorists pose a danger to themselves and to other drivers as well, as concentrating as they often appear to be doing on their music, in the event of an emergency, their being distracted can impair their judgment, and cause accidents. When their car windows are down their hands can often be observed keeping time to the music. But their insensitive action represents not only a potential traffic hazard, but an annoyance to residents of the neighbourhoods they drive through. It is a dismissal of the residents’ right to peace and quiet. Very often, the words to the music promote violence, and with a wide range of Jamaican obscenities can hardly be considered suitable for the ears of minors and of even mature adults. But the loud stereo playing is not limited to night time, when it is more pronounced, but can be noted, even in the day, coming from conventional taxis, PH cars and maxi taxis. Should some passengers protest, they are viewed as spoil sports by others. Regrettably, the noise bit may not be limited to taxis — maxi, PH or otherwise. Only last Saturday evening I was returning from a visit to San Fernando by Public Transport Service Corporation bus, when the bus driver turned up the volume of his audio system to a level that was unusual and annoying. Conversation was virtually impossible.

However, in all fairness to the Public Transport Service Corpo-ration I must admit it was the first time that I had ever had that experience. Corporation drivers of buses I have used have always tended to be considerate. But noise levels are not simply the concern of the Police Service and the Transport Division, even when only limited to vehicles, but the Environmental Management Aut-hority (EMA) as well. And when excessively loud stereo playing comes not from cars et cetera, but from homes and/or public places, for example where functions are held, then the EMA is involved, Unfortunately, there are persons, including the parents of schoolchildren, who play their stereos loudly at nights and on weekends, even during the School term, without a care that they may be making it difficult, not merely for their own, but for the school age children of other families, who are serious about studying. This is a problem in several parts of the country, though particularly so in urban areas. And in all too many instances, the coarser the language of the songs, the louder the tunes are played. While this may be the parents’ way of sharing their taste in songs, no matter how coarse and vulgar, with the neighbourhood, their children suffer in the process. In addition, they disturb and/or distract the children of other families. The signals sent by the parents to their children and the neighbourhood’s children are that they consider as acceptable the obscene language and violence promoted by the songs. In turn, many adults sing the songs as they are played on the stereo sets. Little wonder that so many of their children have obscene language as the language of second, if not first choice.

I switch gears. United National Congress (UNC) Members of the House of Representatives, who may privately agree with the need for the establishment of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) have found themselves in a position where they are being required by their Party’s Executive to vote against it. From where I sit, any vote against the move to break away from the Privy Council, a grim reminder of our colonial past, and join in setting up a Caribbean Court of final appeal, is a humiliating statement that those who insist on it apparently hold that Massa is superior to anything the country and the Caribbean can produce. It is a repeat of the shameless attitude of 1962, of people who were prepared to prevent this country and its people from gaining their Independence then, unless certain demands were met. To me, as it must be to countless thousands of fellow Trinidadians and Tobagonians, the right to freedom, the right to dignity, the right to pride are non negotiable. And while, I have always agreed with Dr. Rudranath Capildeo, late leader of the then Opposition Democratic Labour Party, that the safeguards he sought were necessary, I felt then as I do now that they could have been worked out as other countries have done, even after Independence. And to think that almost 40 years after Trinidad and Tobago achieved its Independence that the United National Congress should set up obstacles to the country’s breaking away from the apron strings of the Privy Council must be viewed as almost unbelievable by nationals of all ages, regardless of political persuasion. Meanwhile, should enough UNC MP’s refuse to abide by the folly of the Party’s dictates, and vote for the legislation to establish the CCJ, this would not represent a threat to the Party as such, but rather to its leadership.

It would be a signal, whether ignored or not, for the Party’s Political Leader, Basdeo Panday, to step aside. UNC MP Gerard Yetming’s insistence that the Party should revisit its position on the Caribbean Court of Justice is a plea for commonsense to prevail. Admittedly, any Opposition Member of Parliament, who votes in favour of the legislation will be exposing himself to being disciplined by the Party. On the flip side of the coin, however, it may very well turn out to be a plus for the Party, and nudge it toward taking the action needed on the leadership issue.