THE EDITOR: Sedition is a popular word at this time in TT, in view of the charges laid against the Canadian You Tuber known online as "Chris Must List" (Christopher Hughes). The term sedition is in itself controversial, harkening back to the colonial era and retained on our law books, post-independence.
Defined simply as an action/s which undermines the lawful authority of a state, it could be and has been used by governments around the world, where such a law exists, to suppress protest and rebellion.
In our context Tubal Uriah "Buzz" Butler's progressive actions in the labour unrest of the 1930s and those of the Black Power revolutionaries in the 1970s may be considered seditious. It's a law or legal mechanism, therefore that could readily lend itself as a convenient tool to be used by a government to silent ardent critics who challenge an unjust status quo.
Time will tell how this particular scenario turns out for this gentleman, whose daring actions seemed to have raised many eyebrows throughout TT – in living rooms as well as in conference rooms.
MICHAEL JATTAN
via e-mail
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