Ex-Senator Harry Mungalsingh
‘Tis so sad to make familiar mistakes.
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| Harry Mungalsingh (Express Photo) |
He was wrong. He said he was caught up in the heat of the moment (although he was reading from a script at the time) He’s sorry, however. But he was fired (as he should have been). Kudos to the UNC for acting quickly and decisively.
But what got me, is how could a man be so emboldened (to use Dubya’s word) to say what he did? Do people really think and talk like this? Was this a bad joke that Mungalsigh mistook for a good idea.
Although I’m not entirely sure about the topic, this reminds me of a conversation I had with a friend of mine a while back. I think he was talking to me about Hinduism and was trying to illustrate to me some Hindu philosophy or something like that. Anyway, he was telling me about a question he had asked his pundit about crime and the answer his pundit gave. The question was, “Since people who commit crime seem to come from certain areas, would it be ethical to seal of their communities and prevent them from mixing with the rest of us?”
“No,” the pundit says, “you can’t do that because blah, blah, blah.”
After he related the pundit’s answer, he smiled gleefully as though he had laid a golden egg right there in front of me.
The reason I use the “blah, blah, blah there is not to disrespect the pundit or his answer, I think I remember it being right and fitting, but to be honest I can’t really remember it because I was still stuck on the question. I sat there thinking, “you’ve had thoughts about walling-off communities? Who are you? Have I really known you for 20 years?”
And so when it comes to Mungalsing, it’s the thought that counts. While the question is disturbing in itself, it’s Mungalsingh’s thoughts I’m troubled by. Who else thinks like this?
Read Atillah Springer’s thoughts on the matter.
6 Responses to “Ex-Senator Harry Mungalsingh”
By ed on Mar 6, 2007 | Reply
More people than you think. A good friend of mine has said that kind of thing about the Beetham. Crime and fear drive people to extremes.
I mean, if you think about it, the whole “walling off” thing is the driving force behind gated communities, and those are becoming increasingly popular around POS. Granted, that’s the rich people creating their own ghettos, but still, it’s the same desire to separate.
Hmm. I feel a post coming on.
By Mani on Mar 6, 2007 | Reply
That’s what’s scary about it, I think it’s the tip of the iceberg. What’s surprising about it is the ease with which he said it - in the Senate no less.
I half-expected him to announce he was going into rehab like Mel Gibson and Michael Richards.
Good point about the gated communities.
By ttfootball on Mar 6, 2007 | Reply
Mani, what madness it is goin on?! I stop reading papers a couple days an look ting I missin nah…
By boysieringo on Mar 6, 2007 | Reply
I agree with some of Barbara Burke’s comments on the importing of guns to these areas in an effort to kill out the population and create an Eastmoorings. Many african-trinis got upset about this suggestion from Harry but they were more than happy and even insisting their carnival band avoided the “greens of picadilly”. Go figure only in Trinidad! At least he was brave enough to say how he felt. I’d be afraid of the man who silently thinks the same thing.
By Anonymous on Mar 7, 2007 | Reply
Wow Mani. Atillah Springer laid it out quite clearly. Could not have said it better myself. And Ed, I was thinking the same thing about the gated communities that you stated.
By Mani on Mar 8, 2007 | Reply
ttfootball, gyul, the insanity does never stp, you have to keep on top of it.
boysie, I’m only glad that he said it, because it allowed the UNC to fire him.
Anon, yeah she did, better than I said it too.