A smelly vision in TT

THE EDITOR: What would fit the description of ‘an outward sign of inner grace?’ Would the fact that the appalling, stinking evidence of our capital city (and FTAA Headquarters candidate) indicate the state of mind of the majority of Trinidadians, namely lack of national pride, contempt for our land, its institutions, laws, and total disregard for our future and the future of our children to come? Let us start with our unfortunate brothers and sisters — the vagrants, the homeless, the wretched of our society. Should not every one from President, Prime Minister to peasant be ashamed to walk around Port-of-Spain and step over the “smelly” vagrants lying on the pavements of our cities and town?

Many years ago when efforts were being made to remedy the problem a jackass seeking publicity issued a warning — “don’t touch the vagrants, you are interfering with their ‘human rights.” This warning sent everyone scampering like scared rabbits and since then we have emerged as “The City of Vagrants” indeed a shameless city run by shameless administrators. As I drove around the Queen’s Park Savannah this morning I looked at buildings that should have been declared buildings of national interest but those buildings are dilapidated and are on the verge of collapsing or appear so.

Even the historic iron fence around the savannah is in a sad state of neglect and disrepair — like the vagrants. How much would it cost to salvage what’s left of the fence and at least give the appearance to the world that the Savannah is truly a historic piece of real estate in a historic society? Just as every conceivable standard in this country has fallen or disappeared/ing or being disregarded so to the outward evidence of those fallen standards have become more and more apparent. Witness “Gunfight” at OK Corral — Trini Style on 28/04/05. Another “outward sign.” Someone once remarked that any country which has “forged” as the first word of its national anthem faces serious problems.

M  HOTIN
St James