AS a Carnival lover and a lover of my country and its culture I hasten to express my dismay at the appalling behavior and costume that were exhibited at this year’s Carnival pageant.
What we saw in too many cases was a display of pure hedonism that will no doubt have a negative impact on the social and moral fabric of our society. The exhibition was painful because the participants seemed to have lost control completely. What is worse is that such wantonness was endorsed by responsible members of the society who I am certain would not approve of it from their wives, children or even close friends.
What is puzzling is the normalization of nudity and the public sexual display. Some hold the view that Carnival is a time to ‘free up’. Surely, one can free up without getting out of control. In addition, the space in the respective bedrooms should be adequate. Others contend that those who object to the behavior should stay away. This is an unreasonable position as the pageant is supported by public funds. In addition, the administration has made provision for public viewing by control of the routes, deployment of police and the like. In other words, Carnival, is an activity for spectators.
This is an appeal to the citizenry, band leaders, costume designers, police, judges, in the name of prudence, self control, love for a good time, respect for self and country to come together and, drawing from the collective social consciousness, stamp out the exaggerated vulgarity and indecency that have come to characterize our Carnival. That will be an act of kindness because those who engage in the lewd behavior will some day be grateful that measures had been put in place to put an end to it.