Government as an ostrich

THE EDITOR: ASPIRE continues to use cartoons to make strong social commentaries about women’s health. Its early picture of a woman in a hospital bed with three men, one each covering his ear or his eyes or his mouth has already been reproduced in South Africa and The Netherlands. Their recent cartoon depicting the government as an ostrich is likely to have similar resonance beyond our shores. The government is depicted as a heavy, flightless bird with its head buried in the sand, determined to ignore the problem of unsafe abortion. Hovering in the clouds above the government is a minister of religion with a smile so radiant it beams through the clouds. If the PNM would like to ‘out-wait’ social action, it seems that the forces are not cooperating. The recent actions by AYSHR, the demonstrations by the disabled and the sustained work by ASPIRE all suggest that they will not go away quietly. We may well be on the cusp of a new face of politics. If the challenges to ‘doctor politics’ is ineffective within the party, it could well be that some transformation could be pushed from the outside. Too many groups are sick and tired of being ignored. The strategy of denial will no longer work.

ASHELLE VOISIN
Maraval