gilly@tstt.net.tt

Let’s party

Sick and tired of hearing complaints all related to the bad governance we endure at present? Worried about the galloping dictatorship that will become entrenched should this regime win a special majority at the polls?

Disgusted and frustrated with the internal fighting within the Opposition which has led to its near total collapse?

Instead of increasing your stress levels, contemplating migration or simply hoping for the best, why not seriously consider partying?

Not in the literal sense but in terms of forming an entity comprised of people who will be genuinely committed to the principles of integrity, honesty, compassion, love, equality and justice.

For too long we have been suffering in unpardonable silence or venting frustration by exchanging stories testifying societal breakdown.

With exception, the Keith Noel 136 Committee and its supporters can lift their heads with pride knowing that they have gone where no man has gone before and made significant strides in awakening the public conscience.

This committee is deserving of the highest national award, whether it be called the Trinity Cross, the Order of T&T or the Order of Excellence (T&T).

Unless we start acknowledging those who truly serve and separate the wandering sheep from the focused goats, we will lose the tremendous goodwill of our people upon which our successful future depends.

Feeling hot, hot, hot

Many citizens want to party but they do not know where to go or which event to choose. There are two main gatherings but the popularity of these camps has been deteriorating rapidly.

At one hotspot, Party Never Moves (PNM), you must compromise your intellectual capacity and enter a life of total submission. You can be thrown out at any time by powerful bouncers who act on instructions from dictatorial management.

You have to turn a blind eye to the wanton waste of resources on the premises and the obscene expenditure of the patron’s money.

When the owner enters, you must bow in reverence as a sign that he is the ultimate leader and may well become an uncontrollable dictator if he is successful at destroying the other competing joints.

Also, be warned that the management at this bloc does not hold itself responsible for any loss or injury to property or person caused by the lack of proper security arrangements.

At the next hotspot Under New Construction (UNC), be prepared to give up your professional integrity and independent thought process. Conscience has its place but certainly not under the spotlight.

The music of hypocrisy plays non-stop and you would be kicked out if you dare challenge the former owner, or his specially chosen new managers.

At this party, you will see gloomy faces in some corners. They belong to partygoers who were promised a night of thrilling entertainment and the chance to star on centrestage.

After entering the doors, however, they realised that they had been lured into a trap set by a clever master whose mind of political deceit is second to none.

Consequently, some patrons have left voluntarily, swearing never to return until the new management which operates with arrogant deception is replaced with operators who put the interest of patrons above all else.

Rumour has it that there may be a spin-off location from this joint but such plans are still on the drawing board with critical players not too sure of their next move.

At this function, heads are always rolling and if you seek to have professional integrity reign supreme over the party morality, you will not be left unscathed.

Where do we go?

People are so fed up with the both joints that they prefer to stay at home and lament about their deteriorating quality and standard of life. But the owners of the two main establishments are not in a hurry to renovate, reconstruct or transform their premises to attract more civic-minded people.

The PNM is quite content to continue with its “anything goes” policy so that anyone who promises to submit to the party rules will be allowed entry and bonus prizes, including the chance to win a house in a marginal seat.

The UNC, recognising that it cannot afford such generous acts, is prepared to lose some patrons knowing that its base, though reduced, will remain intact and thus prevent its premature closure.

Even if it loses popularity, this joint is happy to be the only competitor, weak though it may be on the party scene.

Yes, the party landscape has witnessed the meteoric rise and catastrophic fall of other entities whose organisers appear to be satisfied once they are in charge, even if they attract only a handful of patrons.

The mere fact that they can boast that they own and operate a party is enough to justify the high operating costs of the event.

Some of them have been no better than comets that fleet across the sky and then are seen no more. Patrons have learnt to stay far away from such operations. But what is preventing those who can operate a successful establishment from removing themselves from within the walls of daily horror and creating an entity in which we can all participate and of which we can all be proud?

The establishment will be all inclusive and the criteria for entry will be made clear to all who wish to patronise. There will be no room for patrons lacking in integrity, goodwill and humanity. Anyone who slips in through the cracks and is unearthed as focusing only on personal gain will be expelled.

The initial attendance on the opening night of the party may be low, although I think otherwise.

There is such a large number of people who have deliberately deprived themselves from attending parties because they dislike the available options that a new club on the horizon will be an immediate attraction.

The members of the management committee will have to pass a high character benchmark and adhere to a strict code of ethics. This will ensure that the well-being of patrons and those who party elsewhere will never be compromised.

There will be no single owner, rather, a team of operators who fully understand the concept of succession planning. When members become unfit or are no longer able to lead the charge, there would be others who are well-prepared to handle the operations. The change in leadership cannot be to the peril of the patrons and there will be no maximum leader.

The new club will not be a family enterprise with the prime spots being given to the blue-blooded clan.

If this new club becomes a reality, are you ready to party?

I look forward to your response and will advise the potential operators of the new club accordingly.