The boston police department in Massachusetts now has underway an ongoing so-called "operation" - OPERATION STEEL DRUM, where they say they are rounding up and have arrested some, in advance, quote "as likely to commit violent acts at the festival." Interestingly, they claim this has connections with "the Dominican Festival." How did they get from "the Dominican Festival" to OPERATION STEEL DRUM?? What on earth does one have to with the other? The Steel drum or Steel pan is the national instrument of a sovereign country, Trinidad and Tobago. Here is the link to the boston article: www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/08/28/boston_police_arrest_34_before_festival/
It is extremely chilling that the boston police department with a past and very present virulent history of racial profiling and worse -is demonizing and denigrating the national instrument and culture of a sovereign country, by naming their so-called criminal clean-up activity after the steel drum, and also arrogantly displaying unfathomable disrespect and contempt in this manner.
The steelband people have strived throughout the years to overcome the stigmatization related to the steelband, which still goes on today. Now, the boston police dept, the same people who are sworn to "protect and serve" unfairly castigate and disrespect members of that same society they made that pledge to protect and serve - some of whom are steelpan players. Many people go to Boston for the Carnival (which is today, by the way) and steelpan people as well.
Imagine you are living in Boston, and your child is a member of a steelband down there, and you are pulled over by the cops for a random check, and you inform said officers you were on your way to a steel drum practice with your child? Imagine the officers' "pre-disposition" with OPERATION STEEL DRUM ongoing?
I wonder where the president of Pantrinbago Keith Diaz on this issue? Will he officially call-out boston Police Chief Dan Linskey on this matter? What says former Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Patrick Manning? And steelpan lover and avid supporter himself, the President of Trinidad and Tobago (the land of the steel pan/drum) His Excellency Maxwell Richards? And newly-minted Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar?
What say we as steelband people?
Comments
caution if you pick up Sh*t to throw on some body you are the first person comming into contact with it, so you might be smellin yourself
you havent really been reading this board I have stood up for the youth in Silver Stars when some of the people who now trying to sugar coat an issue that is a serious one and politiking etc, were lamblasting them saying they out of control slamming pans etc, I worked for free In Trinidad and America to help out young people, I believe in them still but Truth is an Alien thing in these times and when they had the Dragon talk in TnT a man tried to Mash up my "little Folks Trinidad " book whe I tried to show him a 1964 picture of the so called Dragon they say Robinson put up,
this is a lost cause I care not about your age but this much I can say if you are young and is profiling me by my age (by the way I am still in the prime of my life) point well taken you have just commited suicide on your point,and is a very ungratefull soul, I'll say no more, if you are a middle aged man like me or older than me, I do not want any of whatever you use to motivite your self, no thanks, as far as laventille I lived there a few months and played pan up the hill and spent 10 years playing for Tokoyo, there are some really nice people up there but it would take dishonesty to say there is no stigma attached to there and when people stage protests and try to stop the police from locking up killers and crying foul on the internet they feeding the beast and spoiling all them good people names, we need to protect our culture and sorry make it plain, but one of us is in a dream world, I think I would really enjoy that beautifull world you speak of, sounds like the Fox or CNN news maths or the newly appointed goody two shoes government in TnT,I will explain it to you when you grow up
.
The boston police departmnent creating Operation Steel Drum has nothing to do with pan. They linked it to the Dominican Festival, and since they (Dominicans) are part of the Caribbean Community, people link the word steelpan or "steel drum" as whites call it, with the Caribbean or West Indies. And it is the same thing the boston PD did. They did not find that steelpan people were committing crimes, or likely to commit crimes, you confused creature. Read the article. Understand before you comment.
In one warped and meandering post, you have succeeded in showing your extreme ignorance, horrifying bias and demonization of several of our pan people especially the young. Looking at your age, you are the type of character the pan community can do well without.
Your words are the type that empower those police officers in America who delight in victimizing and profiling our Black people in general. Not all cops are like this, there are some who are fantastic human beings who do their job well and care. But there are others for whom our Black people are the subject of a “hunt.” And the ignorant crap you spewed justifies and excuses their actions.
The slain [Black] youths in America and the gang violence is rooted in deep social inequality with a history of over two hundred years of the same in this country – not an excuse – but a fact of life. For the boston PD to use the term “Operation steel drum” to deal with the problems of society is in itself racist at worst, and “insensitive” at best.
The "police" of the day back in Trinidad were not only interested in quelling the violence of the steelband, but were of the colonial master mentality - the black officers were supervised by the white superiors directly from England in many cases. And they were in step with the Church, which at the time demonized the steelpan art form - the Drum of the African population in Trinidad. To justify how the police were operating as if it was good for the youth to protect them from themselves (back in the day in Trinidad, and now for the people of Boston) is irrational. You are that neo-colonial that puts his foot on the neck of our pan people, because Massa taught you well. You appear to enjoy a self-inflated sense of importance.
I shudder for another of your comments: "the Laventille mentality." What on earth does that have to do with the boston police department rounding up so-called criminals - in advance of committing any crime? Look where you have gone. You have a real personal problem with Laventille, like so many Trinidadians – and some of them from Laventille! You are in comfortable company with those who say nothing good comes out of Laventille. And if you were an employer, and a young man or woman came to you for a job, once you see Laventille on the application, your bias toward “the Laventille mentality” would not do them any good.
You are the quintessential profiler, and can be scourge on the pan people, especially the younger generation. You probably think the West Indies was better off when the British still owned us.
This is not Port of Spain in the fifties and sixties, when steelbands settled their differences with violence.
As a matter of fact, like in many communities, the steelbands in Boston try to be a positive force in the neighborhoods; keeping some kids off the streets, and giving them a constructive summertime activity instead of just hanging out.
If you check postings by Branches, for instance, you will see examples of them being a positive force in the community.
Boston gangsters use the Caribbean festival to settle their differences, but their violence has nothing to do with the festival itself.
Like in any other city, it's about drugs and turf.
Over the years, the only mention of the Boston Carnival in the local media is when there is violence.
Since the term "steeldrum" is used in the US to describe what we call the pan or steelpan,
panists everywhere are entitled to feel insulted.
-
1
-
2
of 2 Next