Is race a factor in blood transfusions?

THE EDITOR: Dr Selwyn Cudjoe insults the intelligence of the Afro/Trinidadian by recommending that a quota system and lowered academic entry requirements be introduced to facilitate the African man, which will, in fact, reduce to mediocrity the entire system. Will he employ a coloured person, solely on pigmentation, to a cashier’s position, if he/she is not mathematically inclined?

Hear this story. I taught at the Mt Hope Junior Secondary for all of 19 years. The music teacher Mrs Merle Albino-De Coteau gave her termly exams and 19 students were absent. Being a dedicated teacher, she chose to allow them a second chance at the exams. On the exam date only six children showed up (all Indians). The other 13 (African) were nowhere to be seen. She got so mad that she stormed the morning assembly, accompanied by the six Indian students and totally lambasted the African school population for their irresponsible behaviour. She ended by presenting the six Indians students as a showpiece of a people with commitment and strong family bonds.

Now Dr Cudjoe, Mrs de Coteau could have quietly given them the test, but she was terribly hurt by the ‘doh care a dam’ attitude of these children and especially so, their parents. If you want fine jewelry, you must first process the gold. When health is gone, half is gone, but when character is gone, all is gone. Dr Cudjoe, I also taught at St Helena Hindu and Spring Village Hindu and the very, very few Africans students enrolled were our treasures. We treated them, to be honest, with special care and attention. Not surprisingly, almost all of them passed the Common Entrance. I can clearly recall the names Sanchez, Sobers, Louisson, Cox, Saunders, etc.

Again Dr Cudjoe, the teaching profession is a special and dedicated one. A maximum of five years is usually the benchmark given to people who are not cut out for this profession, to leave on their own. Those who remain are the ones who do not worship money (a fat salary), but the children they choose to teach and shape. At kindergarten and primary school, see what happens, the kids hug, share, play, hold hands, love and cry together. Brainwashing begins at secondary level by ignorant parents, unscrupulous politicians, the Cudjoe’s, the Welch’s, the Maharaj’s, calypsonians etc. What I always ask is, if you are on your death bed and need a rare blood type from an African or an Indian, would race be a factor in your decision? Peace.

DOODNATH MAHARAJ
Arima