MARVIN DAMES IN FULL MELTDOWN MODE
If you have not already seen the film Rashomon (羅生門 Rashomon), you must see it as you ponder the words of embattled and unhinged Minister of National Security Marvin Dames about what happened in the House of Assembly last week. The film is a 1950 Japanese period psychological thriller film directed by Akira Kurosawa, The film is known for a plot device that involves various characters providing subjective, alternative, self-serving and contradictory versions of the same incident.
The facts in the House of Assembly last week as we know them are these. Rev. Frederick McAlpine, who is an FNM Member of Parliament, has called for the Prime Minister to give a public explanation as to why Dr. Duane Sands and Marvin Dames, two Cabinet minister judicially condemned, are still sitting in the Cabinet. He went over after the last House session on Wednesday 27 February 2019 to say to his FNM colleague the following words: “I have not called for your resignation but…” He never got to finish the sentence. Mr. Dames lost it. He started shouting that he didn’t want the reverend to butter him up and then three reports of all the eyewitnesses say, he had to be physically restrained and packed down stairs by his colleague Ellsworth Johnson, who shuffled him into the bathroom. where famously Sir Milo was locked up by the UBP to prevent a vote by him, until Mr. Dames cooled down.
That is how Rev. McAlpine remembers it. That is how the press reporter Jasmine Brown reported it. That is how The Tribune reported it. That is how Philip Brave Davis saw it. That is how Glenys Hanna Martin saw it. The Minister had lost control.
That is not how Marvin Dames saw it. According to him he never lost his temper. He was cool calm and collected. He did not have to be restrained. He blamed the PLP said that they do not like the fact that he is doing his job. Yada! Yada! Yada!
There was footage from the day of the incident of Mr. Dames being interviewed by the press just after he came out of the bathroom, where he had been taken to cool down. You could see from his face that he was in a rage, a passion and was almost at the point of tears. The evidence is there. So, matter how many versions Mr. Dames tries to come up with, the only one that counts is the one that the witnesses saw and not his own self-serving version of the facts.
The Progressive Liberal Party saw him at this loss of temper before. He had to be told to sit down by both Brent Symonette and the Prime Minister on 13 February when the PLP called then for him to resign. That was caught on TV. Full meltdown mode.
The lawyers call it similar fact. It can be used to show that the individual has a disposition to behavior of a certain way.
We want Mr. Dames to say whether or not he was armed on that occasion. It is said that he is licensed to carry arms. Was he armed in the House of Assembly? This is serious because another meltdown with a man who carries arms can end up most seriously indeed.
For Mr. Dames there is a simple way out. Resign. That’s all. You did wrong. You got caught. You are judicially condemned. Rev. Mc Alpine wasn’t trying to apologize to you, simply to let you know what the facts are. Resign. Then you won’t have to lose your temper again.
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