What’s in a name?
by Marlon Bute 20.MAR.09
I wouldnât dare to compete with two of our finest columnists, Bassy and Dr. John, each a âsenior citizenâ and their belly busting pieces on nicknames, but am âcuriousâ why there is a preponderance of letter writers to the newspapers who hide behind pen names. In this instance, I am like a âman about townâ, full of questions and no answers!{{more}}
But, really, as a âwell-wisherâ of freedom of speech, do these readers think that their pieces are so explosive that their identity shouldnât be revealed? I really donât know, but it would appear to me that being âMysticâ, after taking time to craft a letter, and asking many to read it, and believe it, is wishing too much. A little openness, like Joel H Jack, and his views on capital punishment, is quite constructive, while âVisionaryâ shows real short-sightedness in his blind call for Mitchell to re-enter politics.
Still, isnât it time for us to have the guts to stand by what we write, however divergent the viewpoint. Either way, the least some readers could do is display a little creativity when choosing a name, like, Amos Johnstone, an ardent supporter of Ralph, did. Not so, this âJohn Smithâ who seems to have just pulled his name out a hat, but delivered a fine piece, that touched on Bassyâs humour and sharpness, and his ingenious coinage, âjumbie airportâ.
And, then, I guess âConcerned Citizenâ doesnât care enough to come public. Certainly not a Kingsley Defritas, who comes through in a plain, simple and honest way, letting the chips fall where they may. And though I do not intend to disparage those who use pen-names, this âScrutineerâ guy or gal, who so bellicosely called the Leader of the Opposition a coward, should scrutinise himself in the mirror, and see why he didnât come forward.
Yet, I am having difficulty seeing how âA Patriotic Vincyâ wouldnât love his country to the point of putting his name on paper. So the DPPâs office is understaffed, just say so and put your name, no one is going to prosecute you for it. Some persecution might come your way, though.
Then there is âA Teacher at NUSSâ, who took cover and used a pen name, albeit, in an impressive piece in the Searchlight, to slash and burn Israel Bruce and Otto Sam. Two men, by the way, who do seem to have vision and foresight and who when they write, sign their names. I canât speak for either, but I bet that Israel and Otto want âA Teacher at NUSSâ to come out of hiding, and show whose pen is mightier!
We have all sorts of nameless experts. Readers are given a crash course in mixing concrete, and the government gets free advice on how to cut expenditure by an âEx Road Builder and Bridge Builderâ. Maybe next week an âEx-Policeâ would instruct us how to slow down the staggering crime rate and rather than the NDP pointing all blame to the ULP, even for the murder of a 14-year-old school boy, an âEx-ocial workerâ would tell us how to find hope in these desperate times and tackle challenges head on. Then what good is a âCommunity Activistâ, who doesnât want to be known? Maybe, eventually, he would come out, decide to hit the street corners, the alleys and the highways, to mobilise and organise the youth, just like Andrew Simmons has dutifully done for years.
At the end of the day, readersâ pen names will come in all shades, like some of the nicknames of our younger generation. Many of us went to school with an âAnimalâ or grew up with one. I remember âFowlâ, âDogâ, even a âMad Dogâ, âHorseâ, âGoatâ and âMonkeyâ, not a real donkey, but a âRubber Donkeyâ, no cats, but a âPussâ, and a âRatâ from Trinidad, and a Barbadian âManicouâ. In our village we didnât have just an ape; we had a âQueen Apeâ. And, there is a case of a boy who became known as âGood Morning Donkeyâ- after being flogged for not telling an old man riding a donkey good morning – he came to thereafter let out a chirpy: âGood morning donkey, good morning old man,â when they passed by. And, there was no sparing you if you had an oversized body part or an unbridled tendency. I knew more than one âNoseâ, a pair of âLegsâ, a âGutsâ who liked to eat, âDouble Uglyâ who wasnât so ugly, âPiece ah manâ who was a whole man, and âHigh Windâ who was indeed swift.
In the end, I remain a âMan on the Groundâ, not suspended in air, and appreciate the fact that readers have real fear. Keep writing!