Stand up and speak out, politicians

THE EDITOR: This country  Trinidad and Tobago has not truly lost its soul and mangy dogs are nipping at our heels. First we have the Barbadians boldfacedly demanding to send their entire fishing fleet in our waters  and for as long as they like. Not only that, they also want us to redraw our boundries on the bogus claim that a 1980s treaty with Venezuela has enfringed on their territorial rights.  This entire stupidness was debunked by Professor Julien Kenny and other experts on this matter.  Barbados is 400 odd miles away from Trinidad and Tobago and this claim is entire poppycock.

Then we have the Americans who in one week chained and deported three of our women in the hysteria what is homeland security. Worse was to come when recognised 100 metres winner (1976) Hasley Crawford was “pantsed” and humiliated in the open lobby in full view of hundreds of travellers. Not a peep from the authorities, not a demonstration from trade unions, women’s groups and other concerned citizens outrside the US and Barbados embassies. We (with the exception of the Tobagonians) have gone soft.

The few Indian voices raised on the radio concerning these matters all seem to seek some means of turning these serious matters into some form of ridicule of the Prime Minister Patrick Manning. We have truly gone soft and are feeling the brunt of two ungrateful nations. Barbados has benefitted in the past from loans of petro dollars and generous Trinidad Tourists. The Americans on the other hand are warmed during the cold winters  by Trinidad and Tobago natural gas which they are exploiting at pepper corn rates. Our politicians and nation at large need to speak out against this ungratefulness of both the Americans and the Bajans, these Neemakarams.

MC DONALD JAMES
Couva