There’s a latin saying that goes: “Qui tacet consentire videtur”, meaning “He who is silent is taken to agree”. Nowhere is that truer than here in sweet T&T, where we have made a national pastime out of remaining silent about all manner of inequity and thereby empowering those bold enough to take that silence as consent.
I’ve been pretty silent on this blog for the past few months (life has a habit of getting in the way), but as the day of 2016’s Summer Olympics opening ceremony dawned, I felt the need to break that silence. I felt the need to remind those who might have taken the recent relative silence as consent to their shenanigans (or complete failure to address others’ shenanigans) that we’re still here, we’re still watching and we’re not done.
So, as we prepare ourselves for the launch of one of the most controversial Olympic games in recent history (for a whole host of disturbing reasons), let’s take a moment to recommit ourselves to creating the kind of society where those who work hard and sacrifice to excel on behalf of their country are treated with the respect they deserve.
Let’s also take a moment to remind the TTOC that, while they too have gone silent (but not silent enough) on how they plan to treat with an organisation that has tarnished our very first gymnastic Olympic appearance and, even worse, treated a world-class athlete with unbelievable disrespect, we will be waiting with bated breath to hear about their plans to address the matter after August 21st.
And finally, let’s take a moment to congratulate the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic athletes who didn’t scheme and tantrum their ways into an Olympic spot, who have made those incredible sacrifices to represent a country that, all too often, fails to support them.
We’re watching. We love you and we thank you for your commitment. Go Team T&T.
Square Peg (Round Hole) 