DENNIS JOSEPH WEEKLY: Serious threats

Dennis TDN
Dennis Joseph

She was only five years old entering primary school when this Labour Party came to power.  She is now 18 and leaving high school, ready to vote and she says she is told that she has no other choice but to vote for that same Labour party as there is no one else. Perhaps that is the problem where one set of people are made to believe that they hold government as their own.

When power becomes a habit there is a tendency to be corrupted by it and to do whatever it takes including violence to hold on to it. The struggle of hundreds of years from slavery on this land to the point that we have reached today, where under God we are the guardians of our own land and our destiny should be a thing of pride.   We are married to this land for better or for worse and most of us will be buried in it. We should now be working on our maturity as a nation making all our people feel the spirit of freedom and the aspiration to make our talents work together for the common good. Waitikubuli is like the garden in which God placed us with the command that we should not eat of the evil fruit and that we should dwell together in brotherhood regardless of our political views or preferences.

But that was not  the spirit at a carnival like meeting of the Labour Party held in Lagon, Roseau, two weeks ago. The mass meeting was organised to rejoice mainly over a Prime Minister  triumphant. The party platform may have been annoyed and irritated that some think that the PM is not innocent, he merely just got away but no one could have anticipated the thirst for vengeance that surged from the lips of the platform speakers.

It was the same violence once preached by Freedom Party high-ups against the opposition Labour party in 1980 when Charles Savarin from a Freedom Party platform commanded the freedomites to seek us out “in every nook and cranny, wherever a labourite can be found.” No one  could believe that it would  be shouted from the platform of the  Labour Party government in which Savarin acrobatically  has become Minister for National Security. The more things change the more they remain the same except that this one is  much worse.

The one thing that people in power hate is the opposite side with information against them that sounds credible. Now the shout is for Labourites to go out in every nook and cranny in particular Marigot,  Laplaine and Salisbury and destroy the opposition leaders and followers and it was made graphic by repeating, “Like Obama is doing with Al Qaeda terrorists.”  In other words, “massacwe’ Yo,”  They  spoke of dealing with Q95 radio station. Why? When I conceived the idea of Q95 in 2001 and brought in Sheridan Gregoire and Gordon Henderson to help  establish the station  it was to give the  people another choice so  it is personally sad for me to hear that the eyes of this Labour Party are malevolently fastened upon it.  Is Q95 an Al Qaeda sponsored station?

And  what is Al Qaeda? A set of Arabs, doing suicide bombing, killing and kidnapping, who boast about taking down the World Trade Center towers in the US slaughtering thousands of innocent people including one Dominican from my household. The North Africa arm of the group has just claimed to have beheaded a French hostage.    Terrorism is the organized use of  violence to target innocent people for political reasons and that is the course of action  offered to the labourites.   Yet  the  crowd cheered and cheered and the rest of we the people regarded it with one big boring ….stupes.

So little wonder the crime of shooting to kill rises while the churches are missing in action, many eyes are shut while wide open and lots of people are talking without speaking, ears seriously blocked while hearing  preferring to listen to mumbo-jumbo called politicians promises all “lies and jests, still a man  hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest” (Simon and Garfunkel-The Boxer).  When the PM took the stage it was all about his pet dream of winning all 21 seats which is the  same goal  he openly craved  during a losing effort to win the by-elections in Marigot and Salisbury three years ago.  The curious thing though is that  this time he called such a move vengeance.

But after all the tumult and the shouting dies what are we left with?  A Constitutional provision that is supposed to protect the integrity of our electoral process is made to have no teeth by the decision of the courts that are essentially paid and pampered  to protect it.  This is super serious.  Does it now mean that the nomination process can be used by anyone of any nationality who becomes a citizen but remains in allegiance to his own country and all he or she has to do if challenged is remain silent and not make the evidence of foreign allegiance  available?  The question still remains how are we to avoid this happening again?  Except if the government is willing to go to the House and pass laws then it will happen again.

But rather than soberly trying to fix this the DLP is on a platform threatening to do harm and declare war on  people who are exercising their rights of free assembly and  free speech.  Or is it just boys and girls sounding off and playing with fire which their mamma warned them not to do?  Any kind of war is hell. The words of the prophet are written on the walls,  “it is easy to start a war but you may not be able to  control when or how it ends.”

Please note the echoes of the war of May 29th 1979 are still heard today.

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41 Comments

  1. real possie
    March 22, 2013

    One thing i realise this thing called politics turn educated people into bias fools,just the other day edo and them was calling for boots on the ground and how dominicans should go back to 79.Is it me or did people like joseph missed the part where lenox said political terrorist all what u all trying on here will never work who knows it feels it only then the people will change i have no fear for dominica and dominicans.

  2. V.I Resident
    March 21, 2013

    @ tempo shut your dirty mouth .a population that have one of the highest literacy rate in the Caribbean you calling them illiterate the last time I checked Dominica literacy rate were as high as 95 precent much higher than most Caribbean islands

  3. Mwen Enkor
    March 21, 2013

    Very, Very, Very well said. One day, the chickens will come home to roost.
    Criticizm can’t hurt you unless it should.No matter how long a lie may last, how polished it may seem, it is still a lie.
    The truth MUST be revealed. Time will tell.

  4. I DIE NU
    March 21, 2013

    That’s what I detest with those guys like Dennis,when some do,they find lots to say and comment on.When is others like THEM that do,they remain silent.Dennis you are very good at twisting things around.Like someone said before,when Labourites use the word WAR,it’s a terrible thing.When others use it,it is a cherished commodity…Bais as you all are.

    • Anonymous
      March 22, 2013

      we live in a Democracy and it is alarming to see the stupidity that some people write in response to good comentry. Before making such unworthy statements maybe you should stop to understand what the writer is saying. Surely pride always comes before a fall. Ask PJ about it

      • I DIE NU
        March 22, 2013

        Good to know WE LIVE IN A DEMOCRACY!….

  5. stand still and see
    March 21, 2013

    I am not always able to follow your writings but this one was on point . I did not listen to the address the same night but heard it the next day and was amazed. normaly i dont discuss politics with my students but i had to pick their brain to get their views and believe me it was like a chorus… but i guess my freidn who studies with him at mississpi said we will soon find out who the real Skerrit is and this is what we are finding out. Evangelist is that the way a man who is saved as you rightly claimed should sound. then if it is then you must be reading from the wrong bible because the bible clearly states Vengeance is min I will repay… Dominica still belongs to God and he puts up and brings down.

  6. Tempi
    March 21, 2013

    The problem for Dominica is that you have a mostly functionally illiterate population who are increasingly dependent on the politicians.

    The problem is worsened in that their loyalties are pay check related so whether it is the mass of students who are pushed through like canned food on a factory chain or employees of Government, they believe only Skerrit can help them pay their bills.

    Its ironic that the quality of young people is at the lowest ebb in the history of the country. Ironic because more of them are getting through school, fuelled by a fake egalitarian system which ‘passes’ everyone and actually fails most of them.

    You cant educate them otherwise. This generation and the next are lost.

    The only thing you can do is give them more money, or at least them think you can. So if you are broke and operating on the language of principle and promise your goose is cooked.

    In fact Dominica is pretty much done and dusted.

    Sorry people.

    • Mwen Enkor
      March 21, 2013

      I agree with you 100% Tempi

    • Anonymous
      March 22, 2013

      WELL SAID!!!! Well said!!!! The only thing I disagree with is “functionally.” I think you are being very generous.

  7. Mahaut
    March 21, 2013

    Denise, this is your worst piece of material i have read from you.Let common sense prevail here; From reading this you would want me to belive that the DLP is inciting violence against the opposition otherwise (their fellow Dominicans. Or are they rallying up their supporters for the upcoming election to deal the opposition a blow to its last three seats.

    If any good thinking Dominican thinking that this was a call to go fight their brethen because of their political background that’s a disgrace. What happen in 79, should never be mentioned in this article. Or maybe I am just naive enough to think otherwise. I know your writing is opinionated, but I try to take it as educational, not propoganda.

    Really disappointed

    • March 22, 2013

      Hi Mahaut, St. Joe man in Boston agrees with you. For instance, if you hear someone say:”We go beat them bad; we go kill them,” he does not necessarily mean that he intends to do bodily harm to anyone. Context is the deciding factor.

      Thanks “MAHAUT.”

      • March 22, 2013

        Re-the post MAHAUT, the word is batsman and not beat. Sorry for the typo readers.

      • March 22, 2013

        Hi folks please ignore my correction below. The above article is correct; no correction is needed.__ I’m not feeling too well.__ I was about to place the correction towards another article.

    • Anonymous
      March 25, 2013

      mr mahaut you are a real idiot!!!!!!!!!

  8. winston warrington
    March 21, 2013

    Have we lost all sense of humor in this country?How can anyone take Lawrence’s words at face value when he promises to hunt down the opposition like Obama does AlQaeda? Does the government own drones, and the island so large that we need to dispatch them to the hideouts of people whom every Dominican recognises? The labor party speakers were excessively effusive in celebrating their victory and we can forget about that. What we must heed is the full opinion of the panel of judges then consider whether the ruling might set a precedence that ridicules our constitution.

    • @ Winston
      March 21, 2013

      Warrinton I do more reading on DNO than I comment.
      Having said that. I though U were a liitle more sensible.
      You ought to be clear on the phase were are in the political history of our nation.We have had less qualified people in the pass but they seem to have had more common sense( A rear or endangered virtue today) Never had we in the pass had more ignorance being spilled from the mouth of a leader of a country.Never had we had so many low class vieux negs in Gov’t hungry greedy evil idiots who if given the opportunity will go at any length to secure power.
      Donnie Boyd stated ” The horses were out of the ban in june 1995 when an unknown Farmer won the elction on the islandof DA VOA.I wonder what are they saying or would say today(think they nolong cover our region.I use to be the first to make statement on corruption only in South America and Africa. Today am ashame to see it on the island that bore me.These infiltrates of the DLP and the lawyers P.S’s former commiesblack poweradvocates etc are lower than anything that crawls the surface of the earth.Ilegal inshape form and mindset.There comes a time when getting corruption andthe corrutpedhas to consume the rightous and reed the country of them by any means necessary.Even Lennox lawrence is aware but from the wrong side.When a former priest turns lawyer and political hatchet man you know la fin del monde is near.

      • winston warrington
        March 23, 2013

        Your are exactly right! I am not sensible enough to understand anything you have written thus far.

  9. toma
    March 21, 2013

    he will fail,Patrick John failed

  10. Oh yes
    March 21, 2013

    These pieces interest me because they rivet around the connection between history and the people who still live it today. People who one way r the other grace or disgrace the Hunan race in this part of the world called Dominica.

  11. Progres
    March 21, 2013

    Dno-Keep on moderating.

  12. jeremy sinclair
    March 21, 2013

    very good article, some may look for a peace by appeasement this wont work for all appeasment does is send everyone to the mouth of the crocodile before it eats your very self,

    one has to differentiate between politics and crime here we have a government spokesperson calling out to a baying mob who cheer, applaud, and agree with this belicose and very dangerous accusation.

    This incting and call to viloence is a criminal act contrary to the public order statute, this is criminal not political.

    all it takes is an impressionable mind from among the crowd to throw the petrol bomb or worse, believeing he is ridding Dominica of an Osama Bin Laden tyoe of organisation, he may even feel that he is doing Dominica a service, can the Luntaic Lawrence guarantee that this will not occur, i think not but he the instigator would very soon deny responsibility

    in the uk he would have been disbarred two weeks ago from ever practicing law again,

  13. SOS
    March 21, 2013

    Well papa look propaganda!!!

    • BAFOOON
      March 21, 2013

      once allu read things above allu mental capacity…its propaganda…hahahahaha

    • Papa Dom
      March 21, 2013

      Care to point out exactly which bits are propaganda?

  14. concerned
    March 21, 2013

    When the Labour Party mentions the word “WAR”, it is a terrible word, when the other side says it it is a “Cherished Commodity”. Let’s stop being HYPOCRITE. I am going to vote for the first time whenever election is called.

    • toma
      March 21, 2013

      ignorance is at large

  15. Citizen Kane
    March 21, 2013

    I have to agree with you Mr. Joseph .. I would probably be more blunt about it though!

  16. Malatete
    March 21, 2013

    From Roosevel Skerrit’s (David Thompson’s) memorial lecture at the U.W.I, Cave Hill campus on 27 Oct., 2011 on the subject of “the future of Caricom and regional integration”. This is part of his wish list and stated vision, quoted verbatim:

    – “Social equity, social justice, social cohesion and PERSONAL SECURIY”
    – “Democratic, transparent and PARTICIPATORY governance”

    And last, but not least:

    “THE CONCEPT OF PROGRESS IS WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT JUSTICE.JUSTICE MUST NOT ONLY BE DONE, BUT IT MUST BE SEEN TO BE DONE”.

    Very lofty and laudable ideals for the region, pronounced by the same man, who on a platform at Lagon on 12 March called for uncharitable revenge in a vindictive manner on those of his own citizens, who had the temerity to exercise their democratic right to challenge his legitimacy in a court of law. How does one rhyme these two personalities? Which is the real one? Which is the Jekyll and which is the Hyde?

  17. Peter Vanterpool
    March 21, 2013

    Is that the Dennis Joseph I knew growing up in Dominica? I left in 1964.I am related to Shirley Vanterpool.

    • DANZIGER
      March 21, 2013

      Yes sir saye meme Dennis Joseph

      • SOS
        March 21, 2013

        :mrgreen:

    • Just 4 kicks
      March 22, 2013

      Peter how long ago did you leave DA? 1964? lol that’s too long man did you go like the peeps who went to England on a banana bat? I wonder(never heard nor read banana boats travelled to NY Miami or elsewhere to US ports.That’s 49 yrs Peter! How many times did you return? does Shirley know you or was told she had a relative peter in the US?
      Now tell us Peter do you claim to know dennis Joseph? maybe as a boy. lol School days was onething adult hood was another.nder PJ was anothe- he was the man withthe master plan then over to UWP i think now writting kool stuff but wanna come back with a new master plan lol!
      Peter, dennis has changed many times over since youlast saw him in 1964.Man you ought to be near………..???Dennis has the faculties preserved do you?
      I guess if you come to DA for say carnival next yr youmaybe sing come leh wee go sukie lol!

  18. Progres
    March 21, 2013

    Mr. Joseph. You were once part of an administration that denied the opposition access to the state owned radio station. Prior to the events that led to the event you mentioned that took place in 1979,your administration decided that everyone that looked like a rasta (dread) could be shot on site. You all literally declared war on the masses. In fact, it was a peaceful demonstration against legislation which your administration was seeking to pass that led to the police opening fire on a crowd of innocent Dominicans. Freedom of speech is for all. I am sure that you are aware that the revenge that Skerritt was talking about was beating the opposition soundly at the next general election, which is a far cry from what took place in 1979 under an administration which you were part of.

    • Anonymous
      March 22, 2013

      You need to be corrected on a few points.
      1. It was the DDF not the police who,according to you opened fire
      2. The then opposition was totally in favour of the law against the dreads. In fact they agitated for action to be taken against them
      3. When they, the opposition came into power they passed the very same laws.
      4. Stones were collected before the sitting of the house began so it was always meant to be a violent confrontation

      This however is all in the past but from the look of things we did not learn from this experience. Abuse of power and position is taking place in Dominica now and all some of you care about is the little handout you get from skerritt.

      • Progres
        March 22, 2013

        Police, DDF, same difference, all part of the government force. Just so you know, the opposition passed the “Terrorist act”. Very different from the ” Dread Act.” Check it out.

    • Were u there?
      March 22, 2013

      Can I shake your hand? I sincerely believe that there are some topics Dennis should just not comment on….the events of 1979 is one of them. He was a PJ acolyte and by association was part of the cabal then that wanted to stiffle the masses with “draconian” legistlation, coup attempt, mercenaries, Sydney Burnette-Alleyne etc.How many times were we confronted with tear gas in Roseau for demonstrating? Remember Domcan timber, Royal Bank travails? Mweh tai la..so Dennis cannot come now and try to spin norfing. Let he that is without sin throw the first stone…Charles Savarin know alls of allu misdeeds..ask Athie, Wilthshire, Ron ect..
      No stone brigade..DE BALLOT EVERYTIME..give Dominicans their time to do the right thing…Can u imagine removing a government by force in 2013? Ebeh now it would have court case..and chaos. We do not need that…DE BALLOT EVERYTIME AND ACCEPT THE RESULTS.

  19. ZZzzz
    March 21, 2013

    Hmmm. Very interesting! Two thumbs up.

  20. LA
    March 21, 2013

    A great piece. All should read.

  21. The intrnsigent one
    March 21, 2013

    The war of may 29th was started by ????? where are they now? some dead, some sitting where they do not stand. Some who were only a few yrs young when it all began . Now have migrated or rather infiltrated an organization to which they are ectopic.

    • toma
      March 21, 2013

      make some sense

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