The WST family is made-up of a very wide range of people from all over the world with varied backgrounds, opinions, expertise and experiences. Over the years there have been passionate and heated discussions on a host of topics -- which sometimes have pushed the envelope to the limit on polar opposites of the spectrum - but WST members have always found a way to continue to communicate and thereby providing an interactive, educative, information and solution-based forum.
The WST forum is a small part of our steelpan music network activities, but demonstratively an important one as it allows members to communicate with each other, share information, voice opinions and take a pulse on the community. In this regard, rather than taking on the role of "big brother", forum posters are to never give reason to be ignored personally or collectively. Continue to share and create precious and/or relevant moments and dialogue. In this vein, WST members are requested to dial back language that may be offensive to other forum members.
Replies
I agree 100%!!! Thanks for this post; I shall honor your requests, and hopefully others will, as well. Besides the language, please keep your religious and spiritual views to yourselves, and respond to my comments without attacking my person, and we have NO issues! And when referring to people who look like me, address us properly - Africans, Afro-Trinbagonians, "T&T Africans", etc, and not "black". (That offends me. ) And be fair in your judgment, even if you agree or disagree with a position, keep the childish sarcasm to yourselves, and please research before criticizing. Also, respect EVERYONE's sincere input, and END the "witch hunts", against those who contribute positively to this forum. Regardless of where they come from; it was very disrespectful the way Jerome was handled, and I saw when he escalated his rhetoric. Understand, speaking about race issues IS NOT racist, and in fact it is usually those against "isms" that speak out against them. When someone makes a wrong comment, respectfully correct them, and NO ONE on this WST forum should EVER be allowed to get away with disrespecting and dishonoring the efforts of ANY past or present pan pioneer, regardless of who is related to them or not. So, let's try this again, and see if you all can give me and my dad's legacy the respect you seek for your own selves, and be fair and unbiased in your judgement, by looking at ALL the evidence, not just the headlines. But certainly, attack the content of my posts, not just for being disagreeable, but in the way that promotes healthy debate - by looking at the evidence presented, and by presenting your own facts to back up any counter-claims. And understand that, bringing my family into the discussion, or threatening me with legal action or police brutality, WILL NOT scare me. It ONLY fires me up to give you more stuff to run away with. I came on this WST forum with love for my peers in the pan-fraternity, and this is the thanks I get for the positive, visionary, contributions I have given as a member? Not to mention the disrespect shown for my dad's sacrifice, and some of you have to audacity to laugh and choose sarcasm, instead of compassion and appreciation. Thankfully, there are quite a few WST members who appreciate not just my dad's, but my works as well, and I think that Pan Times and the moderators of this board do as well. I thank them for the opportunity to bring my dad's name back into the conversation, for like the "black, ex-slave", he too would have been written out of his proper place in the history of the steel drum or pan. Shem Em Hotep (May you go in peace).
George D. Goddard, B.A. (Cum Laude)
GHOST
Pan Times I am sure this was not an easy decision for you, when you are in the business of people you are obliged to respect their freedom of everything. However it is unfortunate that in life there are always a few that make it unpleasant for many. In everything we have guidelines to follow, when MAN is left to himself he causes chaos.