This blog thinks that this issue is a far-fetched one which should not be entertained by the so called bright minds of the SLP and the like.
As a past teacher I have seen the damage done to young minds as they grapple with the English language at school - pure transliteration.from patois; what a sorry state? And here we are today making an issue with person's competence to lead a country base on his ability to speak the dialect fluently. Give me a break!
Below is that discussion extracted from Facebook:
Amatus Edwards: There is the view that Allen Chastanet needs
to be able to speak Kweyol fluently to qualify as PM. The rationale presented
is that he needs to be able to communicate to the ENTIRE nation and kweyol seem
to be the ONLY means by which this could be achieved. The following should make
for some interesting discussion:
1. What about the
population of deaf people. Would they be reached with Kweyol? Or, are they
unimportant?
2. Should he master
sign language as well? Can our present PM sign?
3. When he would have
spoken in kweyol without translating into english, would he not be excluding
those folks who can't understand Kweyol. I was shocked to come across a fellow
Anse La Raye resident who could not understand simple kweyol.
4. Should each word
the PM speak be translated to both kweyol and English....oh, and sign Language?
5. When was the last
time you heard KDA speak kweyol when taking news interviews? Has he been
deliberately keeping the masses in the dark?
6. The constitution
requires that MP have a good mastery of the English language. Are you satisfied
that all the MPs do?
7. The constitution
does not require MP to be fluent in kweyol.
Politicians speaking kweyol to people in Saint
Lucia is more platitude than anything else - me think.
Amatus Edwards:
Rohan Roaks admins could you kindly PIN this post? Thanks in anticipation. This
issue has taken centre stage and so should be thoroughly dealt with.
Shazi Chalon: Amatus
Edwards sign language is not our culture the kreyole language is a very
important part of our culture we are a natural bilingual people that's whats
makes us unique !!!
Vieuxfort South
Cries: Shazi Chalon hope you are covering your tracks
Shazi Chalon: my
work speaks for me !!!
Nicholas Sydney:
you have articulated some great points and I do agree with you. The most
important thing should be the Prime Minister should be able to communicate to
the entire nation. Lets look at the US where Spanish is a language spoken by a
large portion of US citizens. The president of the US is not chastised for his
inability for speaking Spanish. If he wants to communicate to the Latinos he
has a translator do that for him. The same is done for deaf people. If he cant
use sign language then there are people who are assigned for that task.
Although things are put in place to address these limitations; such as close
caption television. However we are not measured by the same standards in
St.Lucia. There is only a small percentage of deaf people in St.Lucia and yes
we do have close caption television. We have newspapers because believe it or
not deaf people can read. Creole is spoken by or at least understood by the
vast majority of our citizens. It is part of our history as a matter of fact a
day is set aside to observe its significance to St.Lucia. Any person seriously
considering themselves for office of Prime Minister should at least be able to
communicate to the masses in their native language. Though the president of the
US is not required to speak Spanish, anyone running for Governor or congressman
in any of these Latino areas they are expected to speak Spanish.
Allan Amedee: I
think immersion in one's cultural heritage is an important element of
representation. Moreover, I don't see him as the/a Solution, if anything I see
him as part of the Problem. I have no Party Political axe to grind
Urban Dolor: I am
in agreement with Allan Amedee. I don't think this is all about whether Mr.
Chastenet can speak/understand/ Kwéyòl. I think more of it has to do with
whether he has the experiences that would have allowed him to speak (or at
least understand) that language. Now if he has not been exposed to the
experiences that allows a person to become a Kwéyòl speaker I think it would be
extremely difficult for him to understand the lives of Kwéyòl speakers. If he
has the experience but chose not to learn the language then that may well be
saying something else - he is either unable to learn [languages] quickly or he
is condescending - I don't think either of these augers well for him.
The Corollary of what I have offered is that even if Mr.
Chastenet were to take crash courses in speaking Kwéyòl he would still be
handicapped without an ability to understand the experiences that would have
shaped the lives of the Kwéyòl speaker. Why should we have a leader who is
incapable of empathizing with a significant portion of the electorate?
I think that Kenny D. Anthony would be a better leader if he
were able to sign. Don't you think so Amatus Edwards: Among other things it
would help him better structure thoughts that he wants to share with them.
Allan Amedee:
POLITICS unlike being born with a silver spoon where the sun don't shine. One
is ELECTED and NOT SELECTED
Amatus Edwards :I
get it guys, it is not about his inability to speak kweyol but his inability to
understand the experiences that would have shaped the lives of the Kwéyòl
speaker. Did I get it correctly this time around?
Amatus Edwards:
Shazi Chalon says sign language is not part of our culture. This means that we
don't sign in Saint Lucia. This can't be true Chalon. Our culture is not
static. It has evolved to include quite a bit of foreign cultures to create a
potpourri that we seem to enjoy. You would say that Country and Western is not
part of our culture; but Urban Dolor would yell at you to say that you would
have been joking.
Amatus Edwards:
Urban Dolor brought a new dimension; that of his inability to understand the
experiences that would have shaped the lives of the kweyol Speaker.
While I don't buy that view because I never lived on a slave
plantation and I am pretty clear about the travails of slaves on one but I
would seek to deal with the point that the good gentleman has advanced.
If UD is correct, then shouldn't the PM need to understand
the experiences that would have shaped the lives of the other saint Lucians who
don't speak kweyol? I think we have to choose one or the other. Isn't it
important for the PM to understand the experiences of all of us? Or can he? Can
anyone understand the experiences of a whole nation firsthand or can he
acquaint himself with them through other means? Besides, while most saint
Lucians would be speaking kweyol, their experiences growing up may be much
different from each other!
Joseph Dosserie:
Whereas his ability to speak the language would have been a great asset, I
think of bigger importance is his knowledge, understanding and deeper
appreciation of the kweyol culture, and how it influences the lives of the
populist. My answer is no.
Eldon Morille: A young lady spent about two six months
stints in new York December 2011- January 2013 when she came back met her at
super j said to her sac ka fete and she was like uh what??? am like sa ka fete
and she goes I do not understand patois, well ashamed to have embarrassed my
self and her I went about my shopping.
Amatus Edwards:
Joseph Dosserie , please read my penultimate post.
Joseph Dosserie:
I did.i was expressing my own views.
Allan Amedee: My
Bro Amatus Edwars, I understand and respect you views and dogged defense of
your position. But, my brother you seem to be unhappy with any one with a
contrary view. We are not clones of each other and come and see things from
different perspectives. i't wouldn't be a Democracy otherwise
Amatus Edwards:
Okay then Joseph Dosserie. You need to take a look at the New thread which I
created on that kweyol issue.
Ian Charles:
Sigh, this "can the white Saint Lucian man speak patios" argument is
a very pointless argument. I know MANY people, MANY PEOPLE who are black Saint
Lucians and cannot speak more than patois cuss words. How many northern kids
can speak a word in Patois? Juk bois has on occasion, gotten upset with his
guests for not being able to speak patois! For me, the important issue is
whether AC can identify with the circumstances, realities and challenges of the
people he seeks to represent. If no, and if that is critical, then what of the
argument that persons who did not hail from a community cannot or should not
run that constituency in an election? I thought the reason for the latter was
that those persons did not know the people or could not identify with them. Lastly,
I think the unability of AC to speak fluent patois is excellent. It has placed
an important cultural issue on the front burner. But if speaking creole is
integral to our claim to true lucianism, then shouldn't we ALL be able to? And
if Chastanet decides to take classes, what of the other black Saint Lucians who
can't speak patois? Also, if AC learns Patois, would that then satisfy our
requirements for representation? I see this as a case of be careful what you
wish for!
Gleason
Lafeuillee: Ian Charles i'd say if there are St Lucians who don't speak patios
is because they don't want to. this i'd say based on the fact that if u pass by
the Syrians who came to St Lucia and own businesses all over. many if not all
of them do speak the creole/patios. they make it their business to learn it as
soon as they land. when you go by their store they would speak it to you and
when they don't want you to know what they speaking they use their native
language. so i'd say its not a requirement but I think the leader of the nation
should at least have be able to converse in our native language. that would
help to identify him/her as one of us. that's my humble view.
Urban Dolor:
Amatus Edwards I am still hoping that you can give me your support for my
position that Kenny Anthony would be better off if he could sign. Alas, I will
have to wait a little longer. About the understanding slavery matter. There is
no way that an ordinary person who did not experience slavery first hand can
have the splanchnic understanding of the atrocities associated with slavery
when compared to a person who had first-hand experience. Top of the line actors
are the only ones who may come close to that understanding.
Tell me Amatus whose would you prefer to be defending your
right to access to a Country and Western dance, me or some one who has never
gone to a country and western dance in his life (assume that the other fellow
is just as articulate as I am).
Ian Charles:
Gleason Lafeuillee you'd feel better if a PM could speak it, but not that he
uses it. I agree that those who don't speak it,don't want to or aren't
interested in learning. But the "one of us" viewpoint"? How do
we define that? SJC was Vincentian, AC is born Lucian. Can't he and others
learn? Btw, I am no AC advocate, just arguing the issues.
Jimmy Haynes: I
thought about making a contribution to this debate but with all these
accomplished mystery spinners on this already deteriorating pitch my slow
lollipop bowling will be annihilated. What I find strange is that everyone with
a known allegiance or sympathy to the SLP believe that Allen Chastanet's
inability to communicate in kweyol is a significant deficiency in his
qualifications to be the Prime Minister of St. Lucia.Likewise those with the
opposite view are apparently non supporters of the SLP. Our obvious partisan
political biases neuters the objectivity of our vaunted positions and renders
our googlies mere no balls. The ability to speak kweyol is an asset when
communicating with some sections of the St. Lucian population. We all know
that. But Allan Chastanet's inability to communicate fluently in kweyol by no
means disqualifies him from being the Prime Minister of this Fair Helen. Basta!
Amatus Edwards:
Urban Dolor, sorry for not having addressed your question. The truth is that
this is a non issue in the current scheme of things as a leader would only be
speaking to one group at a time which ever way that you turn and twist it. The
others would have to be accommodated otherwise. So, the deaf will suffer, those
who are not tuned to the broadcast at the time will suffer, etc
How do you people know about Chastanet's understanding about
the pains and suffering of the country? Is it because he came from a wealthy
family? Come on! Will he be taking decisions all by himself assuming that you
are correct on that score?
Please guys find another point of contention. We have so
many doctors administering medicine to Lucians and can't speak a word of
kweyol. There must be more risk there to even life. We have a sizable population
of differently-abled people for whom we make little accommodation but we are
fussing over AC can't speak kweyol. How many people who listen to politicians
in SLU that can't understand ACs english? UD would know that there are more
folks who can't understand and speak kweyol than there are who can't understand
English.
Allan Amedee: I
think that immersion in one's cultural heritage in representing people should
not be overlooked. Whilst i will not lay great preponderance and pre eminence by
that stall. However, it would assert one's familiarity and awareness with the
plight and well being with the people that one is purporting to represent. It's
an understanding effect. However, I think that the debate should be elevated to
do justice to SLU on the competence of the individuals to lead our fair isle.
i'm not and yet to be convinced. Mr Chastanet is a damn Lucian and no doubt a
good one. So the juvenile, infantile mutterings of whether or not he speaks
kweyol is simply political knock about and part of his vulnerability which
should have been fore saw by those who elected him. But, a man who is not even
sure of winning a seat is chosen to lead and we're all thinking that he is the
NEW MESSIAH. Frankly, we've all gone BARMY LOOPY
Jimmy Haynes:
Allan, I find it quite amusing as I listen to people say that Allen Chastanet
cannot win a seat. The fact is that he did not win the Soufriere/Fond St.
Jacques seat in 2011. Does that mean that he cannot win a seat in 2016 or
whenever the General Elections are called? Come again guys, like you said
Allan, " I think that the debate should be elevated to do justice to SLU
on the competence of the individuals to lead our fair isle."
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