RE: MY Two Cents

2013-Jan-02-2115Hrs

Hello Errol,

Happy New Year. Please add my piece to the blog.

Thank you.

Rodney Foster

Monday, 31st December, 2012

Dear Errol and my Fellow Mausicans,

May we all have a blessed and healthy New Year.

Allow me to add my two cents to the current Machel debate. Initially I was indifferent to the whole discussion.  However, after reading T.D. Jakes’ book, “Reposition Yourself”, and reading some of the positions taken by a few of  my fellow Mausicans,  I have decided to break my silence. I remembered that during slavery and the Jewish holocaust too many people chose to remain silent.

T.D. Jakes reminds us that we must give others a second chance, an opportunity to be redeemed, restored and repositioned. He recalls the biblical story of the shepherd who went in search of his lost sheep and the overwhelming joy he experienced when he found it and returned to his flock. He also reminded his readers that Jesus Christ forgave his disciple, Peter, who had denied Him three times. In addition, he emphasized that we should not abandon our family.

Jump high or jump low, Machel Montano belongs to the Mausican family. All the children of MTC graduates are our family members. In times of crisis, while we may not condone the child’s actions, we must band together to help that child reposition himself or herself. A redeemed Machel can do much more in the larger community than behind the prison walls. He has the talents and financial resources to make positive contributions in TNT, the Caribbean and the world at large. Perhaps this is the good that can emerge from this embarrassing situation. A public apology and financial retribution to the victims may be part of the healing process. In addition, as a businessman in the entertainment industry, Machel has created thousands of jobs and millions of dollars that put food on the table for many households. Allow him to continue and expand his business.

My friends, celebrities are human too and can make terrible mistakes. Remember when the Mighty Sparrow, Calypso King of the World, sang “Ten to One Is Murder” and later on invited some hecklers in the audience to “Kiss meh black, Grenadian arse.”  Since then he has redeemed himself and was awarded a doctorate from UWI.

I believe that Machel could also reposition and redeem himself. This incident is not only about Machel. It is about the danger that surrounds us in Sweet TNT and the world at large. This tragedy can be the stimulus to design programs to halt the moral decline that is claiming so many lives in the country. Machel, other celebrities and qualified change agents can play a vital role in restoring TNT to a higher level.

Therefore, my friends, let us not throw out the baby with the bath water. Machel and TNT need help. Let us seize this opportunity to “Mould a nation through service”.

Rodney Foster