THE EDITOR: The manner in which some sectors of the public and the media are allowing the PNM and its half-baked politicos to set the pace for public debate is becoming more and more unbearable. At a juncture in our history when our country is besieged by a multitude of crises, the PNM has decided that the best interim solutions would be to fling one red herring after another out to the public. As of this moment: The minority criminal element has captured such a level of control of the state that they dictate the personal timetables for men, women and children who are afraid of becoming the next target. The business community is expressing the highest level of concern over the Government’s seeming inability to deal with crime. Many of the nation’s top executives and income generating business families have already given up the fight and left. More have already made plans to leave. In spite of being an oil and gas rich nation poverty is at a rate of approximately 35 percent and social action amounts to now for now solutions, nothing long term. The Government has refused to take a public position on anti-terrorism laws as was expressed by the US Ambassador recently.

The Jamaat-Al-Muslimeen has held a celebration to commemorate the 1990 coup while still being serviced with million dollar waste metal removal contracts at Petrotrin. Kidnapping is now a problem for even the poor in the society. Health services are in the toilet and a suspected case of Malaria has been reported (this along side reports of a new, more vicious breed of mosquito) and the Government reaction to everything it hears amounts to either UNC conspiracies, collateral damage or, as it is most of the time, they have “no knowledge of that.”
Given all of these issues, and so many more that are yet to be revealed or being swept aside, PNM commentators and most arms of the media are taking basket from the ruling party by promoting a debate on the leadership of the UNC. Whether Panday goes or stays is the business of the UNC and its members and supporters. Not to mention that Patrick Manning failed to win four elections and barely escaped an internal challenge and he is now the Prime Minister, of course thanks for the “paragon of virtue” ANR Robinson. Is this really a democratic state? When editors, writers and announcers so willingly allow the Government so much control.  

And people allow the Government to sidestep very important issues in favour of blaming a party that has been out of Government for almost two years. Now, Harvey Boris of Power 102 FM is attempting to take the issue further. He is proposing Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj for the leadership and the blind flock of PNMites are following his lead. Perhaps the narrow minority that has been speaking out is being given far more attention that the broad majority that has said in no uncertain terms that Ramesh cannot be trusted. After accepting a mandate from a support base that has opposed the PNM, some for almost four decades, he turned around and initiated negotiations with Patrick Manning. Ramesh betrayed not only the UNC, but the large part of the population that will have nothing to do with the PNM. And had he been appointed Special Prosecutor, he would have remained at the side of the PNM. All because he was not the anointed one? Meaning that service was never part of his agenda, it was power. And people expect to promote this man as a leader to turn around again to fight the PNM? However you twist it, can anyone intelligent really find value in that argument? What the PNM should do, particularly Manning, Imbert, Morean and Hinds, is try to come to terms with the fact that they are in the executive now, and the grace period in which they could not be held totally accountable for failure has expired. The UNC is not the cause of the problems of the nation, it is the PNM’s boundless incompetence. And I dare the PNM media to public this.

DAVID PHILLIP
Port-of-Spain

THE EDITOR: It is no wonder our nation’s youths are going astray. Here we have two sons of a member of Parliament leaving the safety of their home and finding themselves in an accident at 1 am during an illegal drag race meeting. What does their father do? He complains that there is a lack of drag racing facilities in the south. Chandresh Sharma should have taken off his belt on the plane and this should have been the first thing to greet his sons on his return to Trinidad. Instead he wants government to take my tax dollar to build drag racing strips. Not a black cent for you Mr Sharma, discipline your wayward children; next time you may not be so lucky.

MC DONALD JAMES
Couva

THE EDITOR: In the Newsday of 28/07/03, Marion O’Callaghan in a column headlined “Creating Race” refers to views I have supposedly expressed about evolutionary theory. In the interests of avoiding misrepresentation and, more importantly, mis-education, I would like to point out a few of the errors in Ms O’Callaghan’s article.

1. O’Callaghan says human beings do not need evolution and goes on  to define evolution as “gene choice which ensures the fittest survive” as though genes only deal with physical structures such as claws and fur. In fact, natural and sexual selection also choose genes for the mind, and humans have the fittest genes in this regard, hence our dominance as a species.
2. She claims, I quote, “a peculiar group calling themselves evolutionary anthropologists” who “prove that humans are still evolving by the process of how men choose women and women choose men.” In fact, I have never quoted any such group and only used this label for one individual, the anthropologist and psychologist David Sloan Wilson.
Moreover, I have never claimed that human beings are still evolving by any process whatsoever: this is an open question in evolutionary theory.
3. O’Callaghan asserts that these “evolutionary anthropologists” hold that men and women marry according to physical attraction. In fact, on this topic I most frequently refer to the work of social psychologist David Buss and various evolutionary psychologists, all of whom point out that human beings choose mates on the basis of intelligence and character, as well as physical features which demonstrate fitness and fertility.

In closing, I note that O’Callaghan never once quotes me directly on any of my supposed views, and has clearly not bothered to read even a basic text on evolutionary theory. Frankly, I would have expected greater rigour from someone who purports to be an intellectual.

KEVIN BALDEOSINGH
Freeport

THE EDITOR: Instead of playing with words, let us be truthful. A small but vocal group lobbying for the legalisation of abortion claims that they are not “Pro-Abortion” but “pro-life” and “pro-choice”.  Can killing unborn children be “pro-life”?  Is “pro-choice” not “pro-abortion” when the object of their choice is the ability to legally kill babies? Planned Parenthood Federation of America understands that for the unborn  baby, abortion is never safe — it is meant to be lethal.  Faye Wattleton,  Past President, PPFA stated: “I think we have deluded ourselves into believing that people don’t know that abortion is killing.  So any pretence that abortion is not killing is a signal of our ambivalence, a signal that we cannot say yes, it kills a baby.”  (Ms. Magazine – June’97).  They accept murder in the name of “choice”.  Our local groups also need to admit to that fact. If abortion is not an evil, why be ashamed of the term “Pro-Abortion”? ‘Pro’ and ‘Anti’ are well-understood prefixes meaning ‘for’ and ‘against’ respectively.  Classifying someone’s position on abortion as “Pro-Abortion” or “Anti-Abortion” merely states one’s aims or objectives.

It is also noteworthy that while this group speaks empty words about caring for the health and well being of poor women (aside from pushing for legal abortion) nothing is done by this group to assist these women.  They criticise the very people who put their words into action and care for both women and their children.  Allow me to repeat, as they may not remember, or have chosen to forget. Homeless and abandoned babies are welcomed at Christ Child’s Convalescent Home run by the Carmelite sisters and at Emmanuel’s Cradle.  Eternal Light Community houses battered women and children at Goshen House; Goshen Boys’ and Amica Girls’ homes care for abandoned boys and girls, and Vision of Hope Halfway House in La Brea houses homeless, battered women as well as a learning centre for children.  There are homes for pregnant mothers right through to childbirth and after (Mary Care Centre in Woodbrook is one such). Thanks to these centres, hundreds of women each year find solutions to their pregnancies that they and their babies can live with.  Just enquire — it may surprise you as it surprised me when I took the time to check.

If this group truly cared about our women there are many ways they could help — but their only plan for the poor women of our nation is to kill their babies!!!  Why is it so easy to target the defenceless baby in the womb?  The fact is that in every abortion there are two victims:  the mother and her child. The goal of any doctor, lawmaker or government should always be the protection of both mother and child. If anyone is zealous about ensuring the provision of legal abortions in our country but is uneasy about being labelled pro-abortion, perhaps their conscience is telling them something to which they would be wise to listen! I said before and I’ll say again. ASPIRE, coming together with all their academic training and God-given natural intelligence is a good thing — but allowing themselves to be sucked in by the International Planned Parenthood Federation just to become another arm of that organisation is a shameful waste — Trinidad and Tobago needs your talents to work for the true good of all our women and children.

MARIA ANNETTE DOPWELL
Port-of-Spain

THE EDITOR: Please publish this letter to Mr Peter O’Connor. Congratulations on your ongoing (and maybe “impossible”) missions to educate the various authorities on reasons for several national problems and also possible solutions. Your recent article on the Port-of-Spain Storm Drains is a classic illustration of our national tendency to refuse to acknowledge or accept the truth — no matter how clearly it sometimes stares us in the face.

This refusal by seemingly so many of our media “intellectuals”, business communities, politicians and John Public all add up to making Trinidad a distinctly frustrating place, despite its huge wealth, apparent talent, charms and natural beauty. Having myself once stopped trying to influence or educate anything locally for 22 years, I particularly admire you (and Mr Alloy Lequay and ANR Robinson) for your “belly”, brains and leadership over such extended periods and in the face of much criticism. Here’s hoping that your good work in football, cricket and other numerous projects will soon force hundreds of thousands of citizens to change and truly appreciate you gentlemen. I’m sure there must be a few more who I can commend in similar fashion.

STUART H
Gasparillo

THE EDITOR: Mr Panday must stay as there is no one presently to walk in his footsteps politically! Everyone seems to be missing the point when it comes to purging the UNC and getting rid of this one and that one. It is all hasty and bad-minded talk that we are hearing from people who want to void their displeasure of losing elections again. Although your analysis has merit, there are things that have to be looked at in another way and — carefully! There is no need for Panday to leave any time soon. There is no leadership void in the party if you look at it in-depth. The political mendicants and the less then mediocre people who surround him have to go as you rightly said. Get rid of them I say as soon as possible! I will even take this whole thing a step further.

A new party with Panday as leader! New blood to help restructuring a new movement — professional people, managers with “people-experience”, practical economists and support staff in all areas of transforming our country when that time comes is what is badly needed. Basdeo Panday can walk away from the UNC now and form this new party that I am talking about and he will get all the support throughout the country that he needs to eventually form the next government! That is the “real analysis”, Anand.

DR CHRIS MAHADEO
Port-of-Spain

THE EDITOR: The people of Trinidad seem to be very ignorant about the cause  of so many crimes. They focus on the effect and not on the cause. Every human  being on earth was not born with the knowledge of what is right or wrong.   We all have to learn! Character development is what is being ignored! Parents are not  fulfilling their responsibilities and the educational system is failing. You expect  children at school to turn out good citizen when there is no corporal punishment to give them a sense of right and wrong. It is said, “You are what you eat”. Is there truth in that ? Look  around you and the answer is there .  Children are not taught how to live but how to qualify for a job. Where are the examples for the youth to  imitate? Our nation is just reaping what it is sowing. Who is to blame? We see at times of election: racial voting, discrimination etc. This is just an  example.

What about the churches? Are they doing their responsibilities? Do  they look for money, fame and not the development of the individuals? Are they just show business? Where is their God in handling crimes? Is God dead  in these churches? Cannot God see what is going on? Why would God intervene  in our nation when our churches are on worldly things and not on the things of God? It is not how much police around or who is in power but the development  of character in individuals! This is what we should be focusing on! Our  government is focusing on treating the effects and not the cause! We need the  proper balance of things!

LINDBERGH PERSAUD
Chase Village

THE EDITOR: Our society has become so negative that all we see in the media is bad news because it is what our system has made us willing to expect. The leaders in our country has ensured that we will continue to see all issues in that light. No one takes the time to document items that are positive in our beloved country. Particularly with our public services, the feeling is that we can only expect shoddy service no matter what we say or do.

On Thursday July 24, 2003 I made a trip to Barbados for the day leaving at four in the morning. I got back home at around 9.30 pm tired, hungry and sleepy. As I went to take off my clothes, we lost electricity. I thought that this was one of the normal outages we experienced ever so often. Lo and behold, I observed that a couple of outlets were still alive and when I looked outside, all the neighbours had lights in their houses. I then went to the fuse box and checked the breakers and found them all intact. As I am living in Siparia, I called TTEC San Fernando office to report the failure. The operator who answered was very polite and when told the situation he took my name and street number. He also asked for the pole number but I told him it was difficult to go out and get same. He said do not worry and he will work with what he has.

I said to myself that we would get the service hopefully by early morning and decided to go to bed. I then felt my wife waking me up around 11 pm to tell me that TTEC was outside on the pole. First I thought I was dreaming but got up to find out that it was really true. At around midnight, our electricity was restored. What more can a customer ask for? The night was murky and to be honest, not the best of time for anyone to play around with an electric pole. I am very pleased with the response from TTEC and feel very justified when my electricity bill comes around to make sure that I pay on time. Thank you, TTEC for making my night pleasant so I could get the rest needed in order to face the following working day.

JOEY NUNES
Siparia