THE EDITOR: I would like to commend the Editor on the commentary Sign of the Times in the Newsday of February 26. Father Ian Taylor is bringing to the nation something we should be seriously thinking about and trying to do something about.
The world is watching us, the youth, the young kids are watching us. I hope carnival players observed a sense of decency when they paraded in the streets. May I make a plea to the photographic media, to seek out the beautiful aspects of our Carnival and show these on our TV screens to the world. Then, I am quite confident now the carnival is over, people all over the world who viewed our show will say, what a beautiful country TT is, and its people are truly beautiful too.
SUSAN M GREER
St James
THE EDITOR: “Questionable boxing result” Newsday letters March 5 refers.
Yes, I believe Thomas Metcaffe is bang on the money. When Clifford Etienne rested his head on the canvas he immediately (and, with 18 or 24 oz boxing gloves on — very dexterously) whisked out his gum shield indicating two things simultaneously:-
* he was fully compos mentis and
* he had decided not to continue.
The TV commentary team dropped their usual impressive perspicacity and either chose not to, or failed to, notice what was obvious.
Only later, on BBC Sports News, was the night put into perspective with an oblique reference to “the usual Tyson circus”.
Apparently, unlike Showtime, the BBC was a disinterested observer.
GEOFF HUDSON
Port-of-Spain
THE EDITOR: Comments: To John Williams of St James. I totally agree with your article today (2/28/03), but you got to realise that it’s not the band that gets the points, it’s the arranger.
This is how the competition is judged every year for the past many years. It’s the easy way out not to upset the fans. The big arrangers have the majority of fan support, why eliminate them? It’s not fair but its reality. Panorama is dying, so too is pan during Carnival. Patrick Arnold do not have the managerial/administrative leadership to take pan forward in a positive way. He is running the show by trial and error.
PATRICK ROBINSON
Port-of-Spain
THE EDITOR: Hussein wants to debate George W, but that is not very likely. However, should they at least talk before they have a war with each other.
This war would have a lot of cost. We can estimate that a million people in Iraq would die, and about fifty thousand Americans. Iraq would lose control of their country, and American embassies would be attacked all over the world.
ROBERT W CARLSON
PO Box 5778, Elgin,
II 60121
We are witnessing more-than-ever bold promotion of homosexuality. It’s an aggressive psychological assault upon our nation in a crucial time of unprecedented moral decline…The perpetrators are ganging up with the butchers of our value system to hasten our moral and social demise.
The Chi Chi Man” song seems to have brought some additional arousal to the homosexual issue. Whether this is for good or for evil, one may not be able to say very specifically. However, more recently, there have been some appalling attempts to impose the distasteful and dangerous homosexual behaviour upon our people, with a view to having it receive “accepted status.” The pro-abortion elements also appear to be thrusting their tentacles in a similar way. One wonders what kind of thinking would drive these people to embark upon a programme of such aggressive psychological assault upon the people of our nation at this crucial time of unprecedented moral decline. We are witnessing a more-than-ever bold promotion of homosexuality in prominent local media features and full page ads calling for the right to abort babies. The perpetrators are actually ganging up with the butchers of our value system to hasten our moral and social demise. How shameful! Murder is also becoming a virtual pastime in our country. But smack in the middle of this extremely worrying scenario, we have these “merciful” abolitionists cliques pushing plugs and pulling strings (politically and otherwise) to have the death penalty entirely removed — even if it means using Privy Council rulings as an excuse for it.
I must however serve notice upon these perpetrators that it will not be as easy as they think. There are far more virtuous “salt-of-the-earth” (Mat. 5:13) people in this country than they imagine. This “salt” community is also far stronger than the evil advocates may think. We are not naive; we are not gullible. We are not short-sighted; we are not blind. We cannot be sold; we cannot be bought. We know our purpose and we keep our focus. We are committed with resolve and determined with resilience. We are conscious of our past, concerned about our present and care about posterity. The character of our children — this generation and others of the future — mean something special to us. Within more recent times, the agonising, devastating pains inflicted upon little defenceless boys and the shattering seduction of older ones by homosexual predators over the globe, have been vastly exposed with all their frightening features.
The world’s largest church body has been having some of the most horrifying stories surfacing. They are now in desperate combat, struggling to deliver themselves and provide redress for the many traumatised victims of the homosexual predators. The paedophilia disaster has shocked the world. The “dignified” shield of “alternative lifestyle” cannot delude people anymore. Parents every-where are running more scared than ever, guarding their little boys from the snare and web of these predators. But quite amazingly, in the midst of all of this, we have a prominent figure coming out of the closet and openly proclaiming that he is gay, while boldly discussing his gay life experiences and defending the lifestyle. It appears he is being promoted as the de facto spokesperson of the gay sect. This is of course, part of the marketing stunt of pro-gay activists. This conspiracy is to subtly give “dignified status,” to the abomination by using the public testimony of a “digrutary”. It is hoped that the celebrity influenceof this “forerunner” would lend automatic respect and dignity to the repulsive behaviour, so as to make it more palatable.
I think I should again make it clear that Pentecostals/Evangelicals do not at all hate homosexuals. I personally have helped a significant number of them out of their confusing lifestyle into a straight and healthy one, over the past two decades. I have seen (and continue to see) some of these people transformed into fantastic personalities. Gays have always been welcomed in our churches. We have always treated them with respect and dignity. However, we let them know that their condition is a disorder and an abomination in God’s sight (1 Cor. 6:9). It is also made clear to them that complete deliverance is readily available in Jesus. With salvation in Christ, they are beautifully delivered.
Scientifically, we also provide education, letting them know that there are no respected geneticists in the world today who claim to have found a “gay gene” or other evidence of genetic transmission. Homosexuality is not DNA-based. It’s a disorder that can be cured with relative ease. Peddlers of the “genetic homosexuality” idea prey upon those who are more naive, gullible and starved of credible intellectual, scientific and spiritual enlightenment. It’s nefarious, orchestrated manipulation by twisted sub-cultures and other propaganda machinery. The homosexual should entirely reject this falsehood and let the truth set him free to enjoy the straight, normal life which God created him to live.
IT MAY be coincidental yet quite fitting that International Women’s Day is being observed at the same time that the country applauds the victories of Singing Sandra and Fay-Ann Lyons in the Calypso Monarch and Road March Competitions respectively.
That women hold these two national titles, winning them in open competition, underscores the aims and objectives of International Women’s Day which celebrates the achievement and progress of women and seeks to advance their cause in all areas of public and private life.
The success attained by Singing Sandra and Fay- Ann Lyons is significant also for the fact that it provides further evidence of our society’s enlightenment, that although pockets of prejudice may still exist — such as the membership policy of the Queen’s Park Cricket Club — women are now free to compete with men in areas once dominated by their male counterparts and to emerge winners by the superiority of their talent.
Indeed, in certain vital sectors, most notably higher education, TT women not only outnumber men but are actually attaining better results. The consequences of this can be seen in the general progress that women have made in all fields, but their impact is particularly evident in the professions of teaching and journalism where they now outnumber, and even out perform, the men. In the fields of law and in most departments of medicine, TT women have also established their equality with men. And although they may not as yet have achieved that status in the higher echelons of the business sector or even in the turbulent world of politics, their progress in these arenas has also been quite impressive. The fundamental truth about all this is that our society is an open one in which opportunities for personal development are equally available to all citizens, regardless of creed or race or gender. And, based on how these opportunities are utilised, one gets the feeling that the quotient of ambition between genders has now shifted positively to the young female population of our country, that our young women are more concerned about, indeed more driven to, self-development and personal progress than our young men.
The observance of International Women’s Day in TT should, therefore, be a positive, inspirational and forward-looking one but, at the same time, we should not forget the long history of struggle for equality, the contribution of pioneers and ground breakers such as Audrey Jeffers, Jemma Ramkeesoon, Stella Abidh, Lilias Wight, Isabel Teshea, Muriel Donawa, Beryl McBurnie, May Johnstone, Grace Abdool, Dr Elizabeth Quamina and many others who by their life’s work gained respect and recognition for women and their place in our society. TT women have come a long way and they have much to be proud about, although they may not as yet want to claim total victory in their quest for equality. Certainly, the momentum of their progress is now irresistible.
The Network of NGOs is to be commended for coordinating an interesting series of events to mark IWD. We expect they will enjoy full public support and participation especially those involving the talent and interest of young women. The idea of seeking nominations from the public for the award of Young Woman of the Year is a good one and so too is the organisation of an art competition open to youth. On Monday morning, an exhibition entitled “Every Woman’s Place” will open in the foyer of the Finance Ministry and run for the rest of the week. This should prove an educational experience for schools as the promiment women featured in the display will be present to share their experiences. The one-day national symposium at the Hilton on Wednesday, “20-20 Vision through Gender Lens,” should also make the occasion memorable.
THE TEENAGED mother of the triplets was devastated and traumatised yesterday following the death on Wednesday night of Baby Alex, the only boy of the three born to her at the San Fernando Hospital on Wednesday of last week.
The baby boy died around 7 pm at the hospital hours after he and his two sisters were removed from the incubator in the nursery. His death came as a shock to Aarita Hosein, 17, and her husband Ravi, 25, who were told by doctors that their babies, even though they were born three weeks premature, were healthy. Communications Specialist of the South West Regional Health Authority, Zanobia Nanan, said yesterday that a post mortem on the baby revealed that death was due to prematurity and bleeding in the lungs. Nanan said one of the baby girls is being treated for jaundice. But both babies, Ariel and Aliyah, are said to be doing well and are stable. The birth of the triplets last Wednesday was described as a “miracle from God” by Ravi, since the couple had no idea that Aarita was pregnant with three babies. It was only discovered that she was having triplets when she gave birth to the first baby and an ultrasound revealed that there were two other babies. The triplets each weighed 1.3 kilogrammes.
Newsday learnt that the baby boy was the last to be delivered and apparently was the weakest in the set. When contacted yesterday, the babies’ father, Ravi, said his wife was shocked at the death of their baby boy. “My wife is crying all the time,” he said. “She is really upset.” He said that the babies were taken out of the incubator around 9 am on Wednesday and were said to be doing fine. “Around midday,” he said, “the baby boy started having difficulty in breathing and was put back into the incubator.” He said the nurses told him that the baby was bleeding in his lungs. Ravi said his wife was allowed to go home as doctors felt she may not have been able to handle seeing her baby in that condition. “About a half an hour after we arrived home, around 7 pm, they called and said that the baby died,” he said. “I do not understand what happened because the babies were healthy when they were born. I feel maybe they took him out of the incubator too soon.” He said he did not know why the hospital did not know the baby was bleeding in his lungs. Too distraught to speak with the reporters yesterday at the hospital, a crying Aarita sat on the bench outside the maternity ward weeping on her husband’s shoulders.
Aarita’s mother, Pamela Mohammed, who was at the hospital when the baby died, said she received a phone call from the hospital saying that one of the babies needed blood. When she arrived at the hospital, Mohammed said, the nurses told her that “everything was okay and the baby just needed some blood”. She said they told her that a supply of blood was being sent from Port-of-Spain. On the verge of crying, Mohammed said while her daughter had not yet decided on a name for the baby boy, he was being called Alex. “I liked Amir but they wanted a more Christian name like Alex,” she said.
A senior doctor told Newsday yesterday that sometimes premature babies appear healthy when they are born but many eventually develop complications and infections during the course of their development. He said the risks are greater with twins and triplets and the first week after their births is considered a critical time. Head of Obstetrics and Gyneacolgy Jehan Ali told Newsday yesterday that the death was unfortunate but it underscores the need for a neo-natal unit in the hospital for which he has been lobbying for the past five years. “Fifty percent of baby deaths occur up to one week after birth due to lack of proper neo-natal facilities,” he lamented.
THE communications unit of the North West Regional Health Authority (NWRHA) has been effectively shut down following the resignations of its corporate communications manager, Lenore Joseph and public relations administrative assistant, Bridget Pamponette.
The resignations of the two which takes effect from today comes on the heels of the resignation of communications specialist, Sookram Ali, who handed in his resignation letter at the end of January. Joseph and Pamponette handed in their letters on February 10, giving the NWRHA one month’s notice. Reliable sources also told Newsday that at least three more top-level management employees are expected to leave the NWRHA over what they said is continued interference from persons whom they accused of “micro managing”. NWRHA’s Chief Executive Officer Dr Lennard Jaggessar confirmed in a brief telephone interview that “at the moment we have no one there right now”. Newsday was informed that Joseph and Pamponette will be taking up positions with the National Housing Authority. Sources said Joseph has been hired as communications manager and Pamponette as her assistant. Ali was said to have gone “on his own”.
WITH TEARS flowing down her cheeks and her eyes gazing towards the heavens, Zo-Marie Tanker-Isava remembered one of her father’s, Andre Tanker’s, classic songs and wished with all her heart that she could have him back home again.
Tanker, 61, died last Friday after suffering a heart attack. Speaking at his funeral service at the Church of the Assumption in Maraval yesterday, Zo-Marie reflected upon several intimate moments that she spent with her father over the last 25 years. “When I was a baby, he laid me down on my bed and Daddy played the flute for me. He was such a magnificent person. I just loved to be next to him. He had the greatest spirit,” she said. Zo-Marie recalled that as a little girl, she often went with Tanker when he performed and kept time with his music on a pair of small drums he had given her. She also remembered him as a family man who set the right example for her in all aspects of her life and said she passed on the same values to her son, Jacob Andre Isava.
Zo-Marie said her parents (Tanker and his wife Christine) were “married for 34 years and were together for 38.” Jacob and Tanker, Zo-Marie continued, had a close bond and Jacob often referred to him as “Andad, a mixture of Andre and Grandad”. “Daddy was thrilled with Jacob’s grasp of music,” she added. Zo-Marie became emotional as she described his music as “the heartbeat of Trinidad and the world”. “Most of all I miss my Daddy. I’ll miss just talking to him. Dad, you inspired so many people. I just wish to have you back. Your legacy will live on forever. I love you,” she sobbed. Nobel Laureate Derek Walcott said he was in St Lucia when he heard about Tanker’s death. “I have never worked with anyone with such modesty and gaiety. He had a gaiety of life which is irrepressible and its irrepressibility is immortal,” he stated.
Walcott said Tanker’s music “came from the earth” and he had gone back to it. Anthony Chow Lin On (Chinese Laundry) said Tanker was a cultural visionary whose songs touched on relevant social themes from the 1960’s to the present. He said this was evident in Tanker and 3 Canal’s 2002 hit “Ben Lion” and his 2003 composition “Food Fight” which highlighted the threat of war in Iraq. “Thanks for your love, your guidance and thanks for your music,” Chow Lin On said. Manager of Imij and Company, George Ng Wai reminisced on the 35 years he knew Tanker, both as a musician and as a man. Pointing towards Tanker’s casket, Ng Wai sobbed: “He was my friend. He was my brother.” He said one of the last shows which Tanker did was for the children of the Princess Elizabeth Home. Prior to the service, several artistes paid a musical tribute to Tanker.
Among those paying tribute were 3 Canal, Maximus Dan, Ataklan, Mungal Patassar, Gail and Mavis John together with musical back-up from Tanker’s band, Contraband. Gail John and Ataklan were moved to tears as they performed. There was also a special musical tribute to Tanker from the children of the Princess Elizabeth Home. As the service concluded, Tanker’s coffin was carried out of the church to the strains of his classic song “Sayamanda” and a crescendo of African drumming.
AN 18-year-old boy is fighting for his life at hospital after nearly his entire body was scorched while trapped in a burning canefield in Penal.
Doctors said that Randy Beharry suffered first degree burns to 75 percent of his body. The teenager is warded in critical condition at the Intensive Care Unit at the San Fernando General Hospital (ICU). Still, Beharry’s mother, Dharmatie, is optimistic that her eldest child will make a recovery. “I think he is coming on,” she told Newsday yesterday at their home at Julien Branch Trace, Barrackpore. “The doctors said he has to take it step by step and day by day and with time, things will get better”. The mother of eight said that physicians have given him a “good chance” of survival. “When it happened, he couldn’t talk or move. He was just groaning when the doctors touched him. Now at least he talking a little bit and could say where the pain is”. The tragic incident occurred on Wednesday around 10.30 am while the teen, who went to make a day’s work to help support his poverty-stricken family, was with some ten other workers cutting and loading cane at Penal Rock Road. Beharry, police reports said, was one of the men controlling the fire line when Beharry became trapped in the blazing field.
According to an eyewitness, canecutter Rajkumar Singh, a strong breeze fanned the flames and Beharry found himself surrounded with fire. As Beharry ran out of the field, his jersey caught afire, and according to Singh, by the time the teen got out of the blazing field, his entire body was on fire, his shirt burnt off his back. Workers frantically pulled off the boy’s pants and rolled the boy’s body on the ground to douse the flames. He was rushed to hospital and doctors immediately set to work on him. He is currently under round-the-clock watch at the ICU.
According to Dharmatie, Beharry started working only at the start of this crop season as a cane cutter. He previously did jobs in the village or assisted in tending to the family’s animals and crops. Another of her sons, Rajkumar, 14, was also supposed to go with Beharry to work but he stayed home to help their father, Nandlal, to cut rice in the plantations in their village. “He is afraid to go back and cut cane now, frightened the same thing might happen to him,” the mother said. Describing Beharry as devoted to his family, she said her eldest child began working shortly after he finished primary school. The teen did a welding course at YTEPP two years ago but did not complete it. She believes that this year he was trying to earn more money to continue his education. Ag Cpl Jankienanan of the Barrackpore Police Station is continuing investigations.
