Dear Editor,
Many persons are in an uproar and shouting, "Nuh mek we feel suh" as it seems the authorities in Dominica have found the loophole in the recent ruling of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ). The CCJ had said Caricom members should be allowed entry and the Dominicans have been keen to ensure that entry was allowed.
However, what the CCJ did not say is what should happen after entry, and as such Jamaica's Tommy Lee Sparta was subsequently "shook down" after he was processed by immigration. Perhaps he didn't get his papers right. Who knows?
So where do we go from here?
Dominica has implied that he poses a threat to public safety. And if someone poses a threat to public safety it certainly would be unwise to allow free access to the country. But we are curious, not because we love or hate Tommy Lee and his music, but because the decision seems arbitrary and could serve to set precedence.
So we want to know if Dominicans need permission to stage a show. If so, who granted permission? I would think a Government official did,
and it makes us wonder if they are unaware of who would perform at the time of granting the permission.
While the church in Dominica may be saying "No, No, No, No" to his visit, I don't think that would have been a guiding factor as they are probably quite recalcitrant when it comes to most dancehall artistes.
The Dominicans should share what they consider to be a threat to public safety and certainly what information they received and from whom. It could save everyone a lot of time and money as Tommy Lee says he will "defend" his rights as a Caricom citizen.
I agree with him wholeheartedly.
They have further said they detained him to complete their investigation into the claims of public safety. These seem to have been quite easily confirmed or dispelled, making us wonder if they really needed that additional time. Interestingly, the findings of the investigation haven't been shared. So, finally, here's the million-dollar question: If instead of Tommy Lee, the dancehall artiste, Leroy 'Junior' Russell, citizen of Jamaica, had arrived to spend vacation would he also be deported on the basis of being a threat to public safety?
Robert Howell
Liguanea
roberthowelljm@yahoo.com
The threat to public safety
-->
Many persons are in an uproar and shouting, "Nuh mek we feel suh" as it seems the authorities in Dominica have found the loophole in the recent ruling of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ). The CCJ had said Caricom members should be allowed entry and the Dominicans have been keen to ensure that entry was allowed.
However, what the CCJ did not say is what should happen after entry, and as such Jamaica's Tommy Lee Sparta was subsequently "shook down" after he was processed by immigration. Perhaps he didn't get his papers right. Who knows?
So where do we go from here?
Dominica has implied that he poses a threat to public safety. And if someone poses a threat to public safety it certainly would be unwise to allow free access to the country. But we are curious, not because we love or hate Tommy Lee and his music, but because the decision seems arbitrary and could serve to set precedence.
So we want to know if Dominicans need permission to stage a show. If so, who granted permission? I would think a Government official did,
and it makes us wonder if they are unaware of who would perform at the time of granting the permission.
While the church in Dominica may be saying "No, No, No, No" to his visit, I don't think that would have been a guiding factor as they are probably quite recalcitrant when it comes to most dancehall artistes.
The Dominicans should share what they consider to be a threat to public safety and certainly what information they received and from whom. It could save everyone a lot of time and money as Tommy Lee says he will "defend" his rights as a Caricom citizen.
I agree with him wholeheartedly.
They have further said they detained him to complete their investigation into the claims of public safety. These seem to have been quite easily confirmed or dispelled, making us wonder if they really needed that additional time. Interestingly, the findings of the investigation haven't been shared. So, finally, here's the million-dollar question: If instead of Tommy Lee, the dancehall artiste, Leroy 'Junior' Russell, citizen of Jamaica, had arrived to spend vacation would he also be deported on the basis of being a threat to public safety?
Robert Howell
Liguanea
roberthowelljm@yahoo.com
The threat to public safety
-->