My response to Ruel Johnson

Jun 05, 2015 Letters

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Dear Editor,
It must be clearly understood, Ruel, that I am no one’s mercenary; there’s no one who can bring a document to me paint a scenario of half truths and I become their Cerberus.  I objected to your tirade, because, had you followed the advice you suggested to me that I should have called you, likewise, you should have called Paloma and in the Interest of the National good you may have written your letter differently.  Are you implying that Derek Walcott inspired you to think, or agreed with you that CARIFESTA 1, was a burlesque? If not, then why mention the name of this Icon. I can further assure you beyond any doubt that neither Claudette Earle, whose talents far exceeded Sharief Khan’s, or the talented Michelle Nurse were in agreement with what you wrote about CARIFESTA.  If your implication of this colleague and mentor of mine respectively in your letter, defines the rest of the content of what you’re saying publicly, then you need to sit with a professional.
Your obvious obsession with entitlement based on serial letters with the absence of people-projects brings me to the stoic pause that you should take heed; that like fire, the ego is a bad master.
On my Cartoon relationship with GNNL, I was a young artist/writer in 1981 when the then Director of Art, Dr Denis Williams  (whose office I had engaged with my Illustrated novel)  took me to GNNL, to its Editor In Chief Frank Campbell, with an illustrated story titled ‘The Shrouded Legacy.’
I was benefiting from Burnham’s policy to engage local talents. They ran the series, paid me and I began a relationship with newspaper publishing. I again engaged The Chronicle in 1984 when they advertised for a commercial Artist. I met Ulric Captain, who was one of the most energetic Managers Chronicle would have. I had come a long way since then in my Graphic field; with the encouragement of Editors Godfrey Wray and Claudette Earle, I created ‘Times of Vincent’ and ‘Bugs,’ two social commentary cartoons. I also self published Folk & Culture and The Shadow of the Jaguar,  a trilogy that took to the stage in October 1992, featuring the late Norman Beaton as El Dorado.  October 1992; the PPP came to power, Sharief Khan became Editor In Chief and no less than three weeks called me to his office, showed me some letters from so called party supporters for ‘The Jaguar’ strip (then a Sunday feature), termed by them as a black super hero to be dropped. He insisted that the social commentary Cartoons should remain to which he had some topic suggestions. He did reveal his suggestions and I disagreed, so by early 1993, I no longer submitted Cartoons to GNNL. Do not equate my relationship with GNNL with yours. Any researcher that goes back to the GNNL post election editions of that Newspaper would understand why I’m saying this; the above is a mere synopsis.
You do realise that the Caribbean Press evolved out of CARIFESTA 8?  I will add two distortions in your tirade *[1] it’s a lie that the Caribbean Press published three books for Paloma. Actually, it’s one book 20 yrs old. I called her about that.  *[2] You have also been misled on the $75.000 per month salary paid to Paloma, It’s not true.  I advised Paloma to not respond to your tirade as it will, and has began to implode.
As for the Minister of Culture, Frank Anthony, the man  was out of his depth. He is trained in Public Health, which has nothing to do with Culture. Burnham, and President David Granger were and are aware of the power and potential of Culture as a tool of Industry, Education and  National self esteem, the PPP under Jagdeo never understood that.  I wrote letters inquiring about the Caribbean Press, but never developed a media cult on attacking Frank Anthony. I did compile a dossier on the abused Caribbean Press and give it to a young APNU Parliamentarian. I wrote Dr. Anthony’s office requesting a meeting along with other interested parties. He never responded. I eventually met him at the Women Artist’s exhibition at Castellani House. He told me that I request a lot of money for my work arrangements, [ someone had told him this]. I replied that a publishing house is supposed to make money and pay money; we never crossed paths since. Cultural development, Ruel, is not ‘I’; it constitutes ‘We’. I am well informed, I need not conspire against you, I have nothing to gain nor can you affect me in any way.[ Leave the Prince Claus Fund out of this, I implore you, do not hurt anyone else.]
Before your awakening, I have long understood that the PPP is bad for Governance, in every area, the most recent was the shifting of CXC in the hope to use Arrival Day, and the visit of an significant Indian personality to manipulate emotionally to canvas ethnic votes.
But remember Ruel, the Gods turned the man who fell in love with himself into stone.   Of my encounter with members of that Party, was Robeson Benn who was instrumental as commissioner at GGMC with William Wolford in having my non-fiction graphic novel on the Pork knockers published through a Licence arrangement. Even after he had left GGMC he did stop me on Robb Street, he did stop me in front of Freedom House in the company of now Prime Minister Nagamootoo to enquire of its progress. I later questioned him one day in Austin’s bookstore “why are you with the PPP?”  That I berated the PPP [to repeat your words] should be obvious, they lowered themselves below that of national administrators to criminalize and inflict impoverishment on the Nation, and gather illegitimate wealth for themselves. The power force slap-yuh-up of the PPP[2006-2014] composed of pedestrian opportunists, the unsophisticated, the clueless and the shameless.  Of the few who knew better, I could never understand why they stayed to the end. The fat lady can sing now Ruel, as I have concluded this discourse, with nothing left to be misconstrued.
Barrington Braithwaite  

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