Dear Editor,
I am very disappointed in Lloyd B Smith's latest column, 'The other side of Outameni'. In it he states:
"Having absorbed all of the above, I am most distressed that an outstanding Jamaican visionary and cultural icon [Lennie Little-White] should be so embroiled in this so-called scandal which may ultimately overshadow his many groundbreaking achievements as a producer, director and editor of indigenous Jamaican films and television series."
He then goes on to say:
"Clearly, the NHT ought not to be the entity to run it, but while we revel in political one-upmanship, the ever-present Jamaican drama is once more on centre stage, whereby we analyse and agonise our way into paralysis without arriving at a synthesis."
There is a time and place to speak about the value and contribution of Lennie Little-White and the performing arts sector in general. This is not that time, nor that place.
Nowhere in this "political one-upmanship" has anyone said anything derogatory or condemnatory about the Outameni Experience itself, except for stating the obvious fact that it was a loss-making enterprise. More important and urgent than the business vs cultural valuation of Outameni is the main issue that even Lloyd B Smith admits: "The NHT ought not to be the entity to run it."
I am very disappointed that Smith would gloss over the issue of poor leadership, arrogant misuse of contributors' funds, and the general loss of purpose that the National Housing Trust board exhibits, and instead focus on whether Outameni should have been a success or not.
I would much rather hear his thoughts expanded on why he thinks the NHT should not run the entity and, if he feels that way, why then does he try to minimise the current controversy. Lloyd B, please do not become that type of politician of which you once wrote against.
Geoffrey Marshall
marshallgeoff@gmail.com
Twitter @geoffmarsh
Disappointed in Lloyd B Smith
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I am very disappointed in Lloyd B Smith's latest column, 'The other side of Outameni'. In it he states:
"Having absorbed all of the above, I am most distressed that an outstanding Jamaican visionary and cultural icon [Lennie Little-White] should be so embroiled in this so-called scandal which may ultimately overshadow his many groundbreaking achievements as a producer, director and editor of indigenous Jamaican films and television series."
He then goes on to say:
"Clearly, the NHT ought not to be the entity to run it, but while we revel in political one-upmanship, the ever-present Jamaican drama is once more on centre stage, whereby we analyse and agonise our way into paralysis without arriving at a synthesis."
There is a time and place to speak about the value and contribution of Lennie Little-White and the performing arts sector in general. This is not that time, nor that place.
Nowhere in this "political one-upmanship" has anyone said anything derogatory or condemnatory about the Outameni Experience itself, except for stating the obvious fact that it was a loss-making enterprise. More important and urgent than the business vs cultural valuation of Outameni is the main issue that even Lloyd B Smith admits: "The NHT ought not to be the entity to run it."
I am very disappointed that Smith would gloss over the issue of poor leadership, arrogant misuse of contributors' funds, and the general loss of purpose that the National Housing Trust board exhibits, and instead focus on whether Outameni should have been a success or not.
I would much rather hear his thoughts expanded on why he thinks the NHT should not run the entity and, if he feels that way, why then does he try to minimise the current controversy. Lloyd B, please do not become that type of politician of which you once wrote against.
Geoffrey Marshall
marshallgeoff@gmail.com
Twitter @geoffmarsh
Disappointed in Lloyd B Smith
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