Reflecting… on Dr J

No, your Eyewitness ain’t gonna talk about the greatest basketball player he’s ever seen – Dr J (Julius Erving) – even though it’s a shame not many remember he was so dominant, he legitimized an entirely new basketball league – the ABA – which merged into the NBA!! In the final ABA season, he finished in the top 10 in the ABA in points-per-game, rebounds-per-game, assists-per-game, steals-per-game, blocks-per-game, free throw percentage, free throws made, free throws attempted, three-point field goal percentage and three-point field goals made!! But his best shot was the slam dunk…almost impossible for a forward who did it against seven-footer greats like kareem Abdul jabbar and Bill Walton!! That’s dominance!!
Bur naaah…here in ole Mudland, there can only one Dr J…the one and only Dr Jagan!! It’s gotta be more than a coincidence that he was born on March 22 – one day after the “International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination” is commemorated. He was born, of course, all the way back in 1918 and fought against racial discrimination his entire life!! Born and growing up in the deep rural Berbice community of Port Morant – he knew what “hard life” was all about since that “other form of slavery” – indentureship – had only been abolished the year before!! His parents had arrived as children with their indentured parents – who both worked on the sugar plantation!!
He attended local primary and secondary school in his village but completed his secondary education at Queens College – where, categorized as a “country bumpkin”, he faced urban and class and racial snobbery. He understood institutional racism as part of his “lived experience” in GT and later in the US in Washington, harlem, NY and in Chicago. – and didn’t need no tutorials!! It’s not often commented on but to pay his fees to Queens and then to Howards Uni in the States had to’ve taken a great deal of sacrifice from his parents – and an older brother Oudit who had to work in the backdam!! And couldn’t go to secondary school. To his credit, however, when Cheddi returned to Guyana as a dentist in 1943 he took an active role in improving the lives of all his younger siblings!!
This early sacrifice to gain a secondary education from a rural background made Dr J. pay particular attention to launching free government-funded secondary schools in all the three counties!! This was especially liberating to rural girls!! Over in T&T DR Eric Williams is credited with creating an impromptu University of Woolford Square – through his meetings at that Port of Spain Square!!
But here, Dr J created universities at every locale he held political meeting!!

…on Eid’s Sacrifice
Your Eyewitness – after the usual glitch on the moon’s sighting – spent a quiet day on Eid, reflecting, as he was exhorted to, on the significance of “sacrifice”. Now, in a multireligious society you don’t have to be Muslim to commemorate Eid in this fashion. The sacrifice to God, of course, is paramount – and all religions have God, innit? But sometimes we forget the sacrifice ain’t FOR God, but for ourselves!! After all, God doesn’t need anything, does he?
We, however, do…and the sacrifice reminds us from where everything we get comes. If we remember this, you wouldn’t see – or feel – the arrogance that typifies so much of the actions of the ‘big ones” in our society. Could be, some of them actually may believe THEY are God – going by the way they carry on! Sacrifice teaches us humility, since at the very best we can be blessed if we accept, we’re merely conduits of God’s will.
And finally, Eid is CERTAINLY not about getting “free beef” – as some folks seem to believe!!

…on Delcy’s consolidation
Over west, Delcy’s been busy consolidating her powers over the state apparatus. She replaced the strategic General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence (Dgcim) who’d been appointed to the position in January. Replacement Rear Adm. Germán Gómez Lárez is an ally.