THE EDITOR: In response to your editorial of Saturday May 10, 2003, “Menace of safe sex”, I submit that your view, while valid and representative of a number of persons, may be as unfounded in the current societal context as you think the joker’s is.

I myself have not done any widespread research, and cannot be considered an expert by any stretch of the imagination, but based on information quoted via electronic and print TT media, anyone who thinks that they should stick solely, and I emphasise, solely to abstinence as the means for curbing sexual disease transmission, is in danger of implementing an inadequate solution. Your argument that “handing out condoms is an invitation to increased promiscuity” may be relevant, but where’s your proof? The experts who’ve spoken on this within the last year suggest that there is already a high level of promiscuity within our school children. Your article would have more balance if it showed evidence to prove or disprove the experts’ conclusions. If this is disproved, then to remove the distribution of condoms as an option one has to show that it has significantly increased the level of promiscuity amongst those who received it, thereby acting against the goal of reduced transmission of sexual disease (and unwanted early pregnancies). A difficult task.

However, if our children are already promiscuous, then the solution to be applied cannot be the (failing?) advice of abstinence alone, since this advice is only appropriate to persons who haven’t become determined to continue their already active sex life. For these persons, advice on abstinence is like an ounce of prevention that won’t help. They need a cure, and medically-approved contraceptive devices may help. It may seem “barbaric” because one cannot marry their perception of innocent, school-aged children being involved in this human behaviour. However, now may not be the time to continue to try to close the door to the barn. The horse has already bolted. I submit then that the solution involves a mix of parental responsibility, and advice on all options available including abstinence and contraceptives. It is suggested that the level of poor discipline amongst school children may be due to lack of parental guidance. Are these the same parents you hope would be teaching their children about responsible sexual behaviour?

It would be interesting if some medical research folks could publish reliable statistics on the level of sexually-transmitted diseases and pregnancies within school-aged children of TT, and also statistics and general info on the related knowledge of children of this age group (such as when they became sexually active, their sources of information, their knowledge of contraceptive methods and risks, etc). This would make discussion more fruitful, focused and less prone to purely emotional decisions. However, based on the info I have to date, the solutions used so far are inadequate due to mismatched ad campaigns and education drives, and myopic views of policy makers. I cannot believe that most of our children are incapable of understanding what risks they face and determining what is right and wrong. These same children can understand algebra and science. So if employing the same communication methods throughout the years has not resulted in an expected change in behaviour, then we should review these methods and the persons who continue to employ them.

EDMUND  NIGEL  GALL
Hatfield
Herfordshire, UK

THE EDITOR: I lost someone very dear to me in the attempted coup in July of 1990. Having listened to Abu Bakr’s ignorant rantings on two popular radio talk shows, a sense of outrage and bitterness overwhelmed me and caused me to pen this letter.

I wish to add my voice to the growing chorus of law abiding citizens who see the danger in elevating a man who caused murders, looting, loss of state property and international damage to our nation’s reputation to the status of leader. It is amazing how the average man in the street knows about the ruthless brute force and might of a radical Muslim organisation. From illegal quarrying with kick-backs to extortion of money from businessmen under the pretence that it is a debt collection agency, the notorious activities of this group are well known. The failure of successive governments to deal with this organisation is a sad reflection of the state of law enforcement.

While Mr Bakr publicly boasts that he gains his wealth from ‘various business activities including debt collection, construction and quarrying’ no one asks what became of the judgement awarded by the High Court in favour of the people of our nation for the destruction of state property caused by the Muslimeen insurrection. The State had successfully sued Bakr for compensation for the damage done to state property (remember the state of the police headquarters and the damage done to the Red House?) Bakr was ordered to pay $15 million damages, legal costs and interest by the Honourable Mr Justice Joseph Tam. With the passage of time, this judgement debt is now in the region of $30 million.

I have personally checked the Court of Appeal Registry and know for a fact that Bakr’s appeal was dismissed by three judges of the Court of Appeal over a year ago. I am amazed that the media hasn’t discovered this fact and pressured the government on this issue. Our sociable and media-friendly Chief Justice can confirm that the legal system and the judiciary has completed its work a long time ago. The present Chief Justice refused his application for a stay of execution of the judgement over two years ago. This means that the state could have enforced this judgement for quite sometime now. There was never, and remains even today, no legal impediment to doing so! The present AG paid Bakr his judgement of $3 million for the damage done to his property at Mucurapo.

This money should have been set-off against the monies Bakr owed us. But having paid him his compensation what about ours? People who lost loved ones during the coup have been waiting with bated breath to see justice done, especially after Bakr walked free of the criminal charges of treason because of the Presidential pardon. I want to ask the AG what the government intends to do to enforce the judgement awarded against Bakr. This money belongs to the people of TT. If the government doesn’t want it then they should collect it and distribute it to the surviving children of those persons who were brutally murdered during the coup. Many of them have had to grow up without a mother or father, with a helpless sense of pain whenever they see Bakr mounting a public forum and portraying himself as a messiah.

When the State has a judgement against an ordinary citizen, it proceeds with haste to enforce it; just ask the hundreds whose homes have been sold by the Agricultural Development Bank or First Citizens Bank which are wholly owned government institutions. Why not sell off Bakr’s land and buildings and treat him in accordance with the law? Why is Abu Bakr being treated differently by the PNM? Why does the PNM put him above the law? Mr Bakr’s assets keep growing while he travels first class, finances education for his children at top universities in the Middle East and has associates who drive new BMW’s and own sprawling estates (murdered Mark Guerra). With growing financial resources, and firm control of the URP and CEPEP Bakr pays little or no income tax to the State.

He is allowed to roam and shoot off his mouth unchecked. I voted for the PNM but when I saw Bakr at the victory party at Balisier House celebrating with top brass on the night of election and hear him boast about his role in securing the marginal seats for the PNM, my blood boil! Mr Manning loves to quote from the bible and I am certain he can find many scriptures condemning his government’s close association with the Jamaat and Bakr. He must not be allowed to continue his blackmail of the PNM because he supported them. Believe you me, we can win a lot more support without him. Please, enforce the law against Bakr and let us have our money! And stop giving this man time on national media- his voice makes me want to scream in pain and forces many to relive the trauma of the coup!!

NIEKELLE  CAESAR
Tunapuna

THE EDITOR: So our dear Roman Catholic Archbishop Gilbert is shocked having come to the realisation that the Catholic Church in Trinidad and Tobago, and indeed the region is in crisis because of dwindling membership because people are finding the Church less relevant to their needs. I wonder why he is so shocked.

When the Roman Catholic Church is headed by an old man sitting in Rome who is so reactionary that he has probably led the Catholic Church back into the 18th century with his refusal to accept that we are living in changed times and that the Church, like every other institution must adapt to change. The Roman Catholic Church continues to insist on celibacy for its priests and the Church has consistently and knowingly swept under the carpet for years the molesting of boys. When in Trinidad we seek to crucify Kennedy Swarathsingh who, by his down-to-earth approach to the faith, is one of the few priests who is giving the faithful some modicum of hope and belief that all is not lost. When people like Ian Taylor are inflicted on the population and set out to determine, not only that people in his parish in Moruga must not be allowed to celebrate their traditions as they have done for years because it offends his sensibilities, but also that he must rescue the people of Haiti from the curse of voodoo.

When Rome missed its greatest opportunity to become relevant again in Trinidad and Tobago by not appointing Clyde Harvey as its Bishop when Harvey is the only priest in the country capable of bringing the people, particularly the young people back to the Church. When instead, Rome appoints a right-wing American who is totally out of sync with today’s realities in Trinidad and Tobago and whose only response to the problem is that “People are trying to enjoy the best of secular life and still expect to go to Heaven” when, according to him, “they can’t have it both ways and must not try to reach God through the back door.” And then he wonders why people are leaving in droves. Well, my dear Archbishop Gilbert, I am a Catholic who remains committed to my Church despite the attempts of the John Paul’s and Ian Taylor’s and Edward Gilbert’s of this world. I shall continue to be inspired by the Kennedy Swarathsingh’s and Clyde Harvey’s who at least still give me some hope that the Church can survive.

NEAL  STEPHENS
Arima

THE EDITOR: Looking at what is happening today with the growing up of children, we who were born in the 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, or even the early 70’s, probably should not have survived.

You see, we shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle, and no one actually got sick. We had no childproof lids or locks on medicine bottles, doors, or cabinets, and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets. Not to mention the risks we took hitchhiking, climbing trees and bathing in the river. As children, we were happy to ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags. Riding in the back of a pickup truck was always a special treat. We ate buns, sugar cakes, drops, bread and butter and sweet drink, (now called soft drink) but we were never overweight because we were always outside playing.

We would spend hours building our go-cart out of scraps and then rode down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem. We would leave home to spend the day at friends and made sure we reached home before sunset or dark. No one was able to reach us all day. No cell phones. Unthinkable! We did not have Play Stations, Nintendo 64, X-Boxes, no video games at all, no 59 channels on cable, video tape movies, surround sound, personal cell phones, personal computers or Internet chat rooms. We had friends! We went outside and found them. We fell out of trees, in the neighbour’s yard, got cut and broke bones and teeth, and there were no lawsuits from these accidents. They were accidents. No one was to blame but us. Remember accidents?

We had fights, and even punched each other, called each other names, got vex with one another and yet were able to get over it. Why? Because of the attitude and behaviour of our parents. We made up games with anything we could put our hands on (innovation), and it was fun. Some students weren’t as smart as others, so they failed to pass the promotion exam and were held back to repeat the same class or form. Our actions were our own. Consequences were expected. The idea of parents bailing us out if we got in trouble in school or broke a law was unheard of, since they actually sided with the school or the law. Imagine that! This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers, educators, doctors and entrepreneurs. Now you know why!

COLVIN BLAIZE
Chaguanas