Slavery still exists in Trinidad

THE EDITOR: It is very difficult at times to make an honest living in this country, and this is one reason for the prevalence of so much crime and the drug trade.

Many people put out their heart and soul to do a job, but they are not compensated properly for their efforts. The cost of living is very high in this country with housing having a detrimental effect on poor people’s pocket. The average worker who has to pay a rent is devastated in many ways, when the month-end comes to meet the landlord. The government build houses not because they are really interested in giving poor people a shelter, but for political reasons, and so we have people who go out and squat leaving themselves vulnerable to the authorities who at times are not sympathetic, and would destroy their humble homes leaving them in grief and frustration. Most of the times, these poor people have children and nowhere to go for shelter. There is the talk about eradicating poverty, but that is only a farce. There are people who work nightly under adverse conditions, but not properly compensated financially especially where there is so much danger lurking in the darkness, and the apparent criminal element that exists almost everywhere.

The talk of eradicating poverty is a big joke especially when the government is not setting the right example, just passing around money without trying to change certain people’s attitude. This is not showing the true values of success, but money to be spent wildly, so the talk of eradicating poverty is negated by this gesture. We have “the haves and the have nots,” and this will continue because a true sense of love and charity doesn’t exist. There is the attitude of “Dog eat Dog” but this is not the way of God in his teachings. Many people have strayed from His teachings of charity and a good day’s pay for a good day’s work. The world authorities speak about eradicating poverty, but this could be realised if companies operate in a humane manner with the thought of God in what they do, while treating workers justly. Then the slavery bogie would be non-existent in this country of ours.

HORACE DESORMEAUX
Maraval