THE EDITOR: A mysterious hand appears writing on his wall. “Then the king’s colour changed, and his thoughts alarmed him; his limbs gave way, and his knees knocked together.” He is scared to death. Who will interpret the writing on the wall? I found myself, this past week, thinking about this passage from the book of Daniel (Chapter 5). We are horrified so often at what we read on the front pages of our daily newspapers or see nightly on television — justifiably so: child 6, kidnapped…teenager gunned down… condoms distributed outside National Library, and so on. Sometimes the stories may even make us quite angry at the media or angry with ourselves. What do those horrible stories tell us? What have we become? We need to interpret the writing on the wall. On June 1, the Catholic Church, joined by members of other Christian communities will celebrate World Communication Day. Some 37 years have passed since the first world day of social communications. The yearly message of the Holy Father which marks this day always underscores the ability of the media to affect profoundly the way we think and act and the special responsibilities they therefore have. The messages are always written out of the conviction that all participating in the social exchange and dialogue need to take seriously the Christian idea.

This year the Pope chose to look back to the encyclical letter of Pope John XXIII, “Pacem in Terris” Peace on Earth, calling all those involved in social communications to be servants of truth, justice, freedom and love. The annual World Day of Communications was ordered by the Fathers of Vatican II in the Decree on Social Communications. Then, 1n 1963 they said on this special day each one should be encouraged to reflect on his own duties regarding the communications media and the faithful should pray that the Church’s work in the field of communications might be more effective. With the increasing pervasiveness of the means of social communications comes an even greater need for the members of the public to read and interpret what they see, read and hear. The media do not simply supply distilled information to thirsty souls. “The power of the media to shape human relatinships and influence political and social life, both for good and for ill, has enormously increased,” the Pope says in his message.

People will do their own sifting of the messages they receive from the media. And, I guess, in today’s world they are getting better at it. The Church has an important role to continue to educate its faithful in this. The newly-established Archdiocesan Commission on Communication has agreed that one of its more important objectives is media education. It will work to help people analyse, discriminate and discuss the messages imparted to them. The media’s responsibility for fairness and impartiality, nevertheless, remains. The Church has always understood the indispensable role of the media. The Pope, in his 2003 message speaks of the “privileged status” of the media. It is a position, he says, which obliges them to “serve society’s true needs and interests” and not “narrow interests, national, ethnic, racial and religious prejudices, material greed and false ideologies of various kinds.” The Church honours those who work courageously at the service of these four “pillars of peaceful society” — truth, justice, freedom and love. At the same time, it urges those who employ the means of social communications to an even greater responsibility and the highest standard of commitment to the common good.

FR CUTHBERT
ALEXANDER
Vicar for Communications

THE EDITOR: The Government should make a greater effort where Caroni Ltd is concerned, and with foreign input if necessary. I understand that Tate and Lyle have been re-involved in the sugar industries of Guyana and Barbados with some noticeable degree of success. How many times have we seen since independence venerable institutions reduced to economic and social burdens because of incompetent management and unproductive post-colonial attitudes? Texaco Trinidad inc, now Petrotrin, quickly comes to mind. It is true that Trinidad is a comparatively young country and we are still undergoing the learning process, but we have many intelligent individuals whose talents are simply not being used. The most recent example of this is Patrick Manning’s Cabinet which is composed of persons many of whom Trinidadians never heard of before they were made ministers.

I suppose that developing countries like Trinidad and Tobago are infested with the same political diseases that other similarly placed nations suffer from — namely leaders who are more interested in political and financial gain than getting on with the job of building their countries. Two fine examples of countries which have made tremendous strides in the last thirty years or so are Singapore and Malaysia. From a very broad standpoint, this can be ascribed to dedicated leaders with a vision far beyond personal gain. I sincerely believe that if Trinidad and Tobago had had a government at independence with these ideals as an absolute priority, we would be in a position not unlike that of Malaysia or Singapore. We have seen this type of government in this country only too briefly — we had a small dose from the NAR in 1986-91, and a much stronger one with the UNC more recently. The brisk development we saw during the Panday years has provided Trinidad with a permanent vision of what can be achieved with the appropriate imagination and planning. This country is going nowhere fast, and with the current attitudes of the government and its people, we will soon be operating in reverse gear, if we aren’t doing that already.

JEREMY  BOYD
Soogrim Street
Gulf View

THE EDITOR: There is growing concern by many about the abuse of the facilities of the National Library by its so-called users. Do you find that sort of attitude strange? Was that not expected? First of all, that sort of neversee comesee attitude is not strange by those persons resembling school children. Those are beings who crave for opportunity to demonstrate their copycat nature. Their low-life American exemplars put on their pants exposing the rim of their arse and those who resemble school children do the same with their parents’ consent. Those low-life American exemplars enter the institutions with only mayhem, destruction and disruption on their minds and these dotish copycats here, impersonating school-children rush in droves to the same seemingly with their parents’ consent.

The destruction, vandalising and prostituting of and in the National Library by those duncy and untrained impersonators should have been foreseen and preventative measures put in place. The vandalising of schools is rampant. The sale of sex in the schools where those who crave for the ‘American Dream’ come from, is also common. Dr Morgan Job brought to light this fact and gave advise to stop it but the parents and parliamentary representatives of those clowns chastised him. You see their disgusting attitude transferred to the streets, shopping malls, max-taxis, school functions, sporting events and food outlets and their parents are fully aware. The Public Library is now lost through the lack of foresight in those in authority. The place should now be divided into apartments to house the parents who vote for that. They will never learn.

LYSTRA  LYTHE
Sangre Grande

THE EDITOR: Please permit me through your medium to direct this letter to the East Indians living in this country and most particularly to Mr Basdeo Panday. Indian Arrival Day is celebrated on May 30 and on this auspicious day last year, there was evidence of a very large celebration at Palmiste Park, San Fernando. People from various parts of the country gathered and took part in the “pujas” of the day. This was truly a moment of historic significance. I observed the Christian and Muslim community did not celebrate anything, this leads me to the question, why? I know for a fact that we have a large number of Christian and Muslim sections of the community who are of East Indian descent. Mr Panday is the leader of the UNC and this party’s support base is comprised predominantly of people of East Indian descent, and of various religious affiliations. I suggest that he (Mr Panday) should attempt to facilitate the various religions come May 30 2004, because all our forefathers came from India and no one wants to be left out. Mr Panday should realise that by taking the initiative not only brings the people together but also strengthens his political base, rather than concentrating only on the “Hindu puja” at Palmiste Park.

In this regard I offer the following suggestion to Mr Panday. Try to encourage the widest possible participation in Indian Arrival Day celebrations. This can be achieved simply with a little work, proper planning and organisation. I believe that certain locations in the country should be identified for the different religious bodies to be able to participate meaningfully. If a particular religion is not comfortable celebrating in the immediate area with another religious body then I suggest Mid Centre Mall for the Christians, Aranguez Savannah for the Muslims and Palmsite Park for the Hindus. Mr Panday, as the stalwart and pride of the East Indian community and the country by extension, I think that this noble effort will render confidence, co-operation, mutual understanding, harmony and equality to these people who look upon you as their role model.

R  KISSOON
Palmsite

THE EDITOR: About two and a half thousand years ago, Plato saw a man beating his father with a stick. When Plato asked the man why he was doing it, the man said that in their family they always beat their fathers. This is the way it has been in this country for about the last hundred years. When our great grandparents came to this country, most of them did not know the language or the customs, and it was difficult to learn them. However, their children easily adjusted. In the process the children learned their parents were not very smart, and lost respect for them. Over the lat hundred years, that lack of respect has continued.

Talking to a politician about forty years ago, I learned that it was a common practice to give precinct captains a list of older people who had difficulty paying the property taxes. When these property taxes were not paid, the home was purchased by the precinct captain’s friends at a fraction of its cost. When many older residents are forced to leave their homes, their neighbourhood is sometimes radically changed. Younger people with children usually buy the home, and this tends to overcrowd the school. Most important, when older people are forced out of their home, they often are lost. It is frequently only a short time before they are forced into a nursing home. Would it be better if we just beat them with a stick? What do you think?

ROBERT W CARLSON
PO Box 5778,
Elgin, II 60121

THE EDITOR: Citizens For A Better Trinidad and Tobago (CBTT) joined with the Education Ministry and schools across the nation last Thursday (29/05/03) in observing a Day of Prayer for peace in our classrooms. Volunteers used the occasion to make an impassioned plea for Mark Prescott’s kidnappers to release him without harm. We believe that the kidnapping of children is cause for concern. CBTT also called on the nation to pray for all other kidnapped victims who had been traumatised by their ordeal. We should not underestimate the power of prayer in dealing with the present problems which exist in our schools and the wider society as a whole. Let’s pray for the parents of the nation to lead by example in their homes. We must also pray for the leaders of our schools to be more humble, accountable and humane in dealing with parents, teachers and students.

There will never be peace in our schools if we appoint dictators and arrogant individuals to head these institutions. You see, God will not help us to do what we can do for ourselves. We wish to point out that greater peace will exist in our schools if teachers and principals work as a team. Sadly, this is not so in all our schools because some administrators believe the schools belong to them, so they don’t have to account to anyone. Principals who treat their staff with dignity and respect must be highly commended because they contribute to peace in our schools. CBTT will continue to work hand in hand with the Education Ministry in trying to improve the education system as well as the behaviour and attitude of our schoolchildren.

HARRACK  BALRAMSINGH
President, CBTT
La Romaine

THE EDITOR: It is becoming very prevalent now, from all reports, that doctors — and there’s no need to specify the ethnic group — are quick to remove the wombs of our African women. This is very serious business, but I suspect our Government is anxious not to say anything or do anything that would seem “racist”. But is urgent that something must be done to stop it. The fact that the majority of our doctors are of one ethnic group does not give them the right to decide what this country’s ethnic composition should be, and I want to suggest that our parliament frames new legislation to allow a doctor to remove a womb only if he or she receives signed permission. For it is very wrong for a doctor to remove a young woman’s womb, when the patient has had no womb problem at all. This has been happening quite frequently, which this government will know if it has the will to investigate it. Another matter. The Minister of Health, Colm Imbert, has said on numerous occasions that Cuban doctors are coming. Where are they? Or is it just talk. This country must urgently seek to correct its ethnic imbalance in the Public Health Service, with special reference to its doctors. I know this is a delicate matter but it can quickly become a desperate matter for a certain ethnic group in this country.
Yours with concern.

JOHN FRANCIS WILLIAMS
Port-of-Spain

THE EDITOR: It is said that those who forget history tend to repeat it. And yes, how forgetful we are indeed! The tiring question of where the money gone had dogged our countrymen time and time again, government after government. Let me remind the forgetful in our society where the money trail of corruption and thievery began with just a few examples as I am sure an entire encyclopedia can be written on the history of corruption in Trinidad and Tobago with virtually no end in sight. Does anyone remember or can account for the $240 million spent on the Caroni Racing Complex and the Malabar Housing Project started in the 1970’s by then Prime Minister Eric Williams that came to an abrupt end in 1981. Whatever became of these projects or perhaps the millions stolen by O’Halloran and his comrades and yes, where the money gone?

In the early 1980’s TT was considered an upper middle income oil exporting country, our nation displayed the highest gross domestic product of the Commonwealth Caribbean, one of the highest standard of living in the developing world. The country’s GDP stood at US$7.7 billion in 1985. In 1981 the nation’s reserves stood at US$3.3 billion and by the end of 1986 before the PNM was voted out of power it plummeted to US$400 million. I was 13 years old at the time and clearly without a doubt remember the answer given by a prominent member of the then PNM government shortly before the 1986 general election, as he jokingly confessed and laughed in our faces, he said “they say we of the PNM thief, well is true, all ah we thief.” When the NAR came into power on December 17, 1986 the deficit was a staggering US$2.8 billion rather than the US$1 billion claimed by the previous government and a shocked and betrayed nation cried where the money gone? The NAR government then went on to spend millions of dollars investigating corruption by the previous government and let’s not forget in excess of $8 million on the Scott drug report, names were mentioned, accusations made but with overwhelming evidence not a single arrest or fine imposed. What was the purpose of this investigation and where and in whose pockets did the money go? It is obvious that Mr Robinson knew of the rampant corruption within the PNM, after all he himself led the investigation in 1987 as head of government and was also a former member of the PNM, so why was the decision made in December 2001 by then President of TT to cast us into the destructive force of the PNM government, why the sudden change of heart Mr Robinson?

The UNC then came into power on November 9, 1995 but decided against playing private investigator. A construction boom then began with the building of schools, roads, flyovers, stadiums to honour our national heroes and foreign investment poured into TT. Everything from pizza, burgers, oil companies, methanol plants, LNG contracts, grants and affordable education for our nation’s children, improved health services and the list went on. And then came the expansion of the Airport with a now reported price tag of $1.6 billion. After the election of December 2001 and the 18/18 deadlock, the President Mr Robinson the same person who led investigation into PNM corruption and spent millions of taxpayers dollars in 1987 decided to play god and make a spiritual decision to place the PNM into power. My friends the PNM is now in power, our country is now riddled with murder, kidnapping, rapes and numerous robberies. The destruction of prime agricultural land in Curepe for their own selfish and political gains, striking oil workers, doctors, public servants, foreign nations warning their citizens against travelling to our country and in an apparent desperate money grab, they give away Pigeon Point at a Knockdown bargain price of $200 million. The present government has admitted to spending in excess of $10 million in investigating alleged corruption under the past UNC government plus the $2 million already paid to Commissioners of the Airport inquiry as was mentioned by the Attorney General Glenda Morean.

By the way, where is the evidence against the past government that has led to these investigations? Were the people of TT left with an empty treasury by the past UNC government or were they involved in the senseless destruction of our precious landscape? What was the crime rate between November ‘95 and December ‘01? Can those who voted for the present government intelligently answer these questions. Don’t forget there is yet another investigation into alleged corruption into WASA and that $51 million, brought against the present PNM administration. If no arrest or fines are imposed against members of the past UNC government at the end of the Airport inquiry after millions of dollars are spent, would the majority of the population to the conclusion that they were hoodwinked and fooled by the propaganda of the PNM, Ramesh and various sections of the media who portrayed themselves as judge and executioner in the last general election when it came to the Airport fiasco. As the saying goes; fool me once shame on you, but fool me twice shame on me!

DEVANAND ANIL DHANPAUL
Port-of-Spain