THE EDITOR:
It is almost as if my mind is programmed each morning to hear the news of another murder in the Morvant/Laventille area, due to the regularity of these crimes.

It is an extremely difficult reality that I, as a Black man, have to accept because it’s hurting down to my bones.

It’s hurting because I have been writing about this on many occasions and urging the many “Black Influences” in the media (print/electronic), communities and churches to speak out on this reality.

Unfortunately, they are never published and none of these personalities ever saw the need to do so, except for Keith Smith who sort of dealt with it, though more on a superficial basis recently.

(We must be brave enough to speak on empowerment and issues that bother us as a people, just as GOPIO are free to do).

It is hurting because I, as another Black man in this country, am -- more than any other -- likely to be a victim.

It is hurting because I as a Black man must be looking over my shoulders in fear of a man who looks like me, seeing him as a threat.

It is hurting because these are the people who are populating the prisons and cemeteries and are facing the judges and magistrates more than anyone else on a daily basis.

Sometimes I wonder if it is a curse on us.

What makes us hate ourselves this way?

Is it the “gangsta” lyrics in the music or is it the sins of slavery?

It’s a fact that black-on-black crime has been a very real and frightening epidemic through out the Black communities all over the world, including the USA and Jamaica and is yet to be under control. Coincidentally, those two countries produce some of the most influential and negative type music that appeals to the Black youth of the rural district (or ghettos as they prefer it to be called).

I make a vehement appeal (and I will do so always, in various forms and fashions) to my “brothers” in the hood to start doing some serious soul searching and reflecting and start making the necessary changes in life.

The power is always within us to achieve this goal; other communities demonstrate this and so can we.

The blame game is not going to bring results, every man is responsible for his own actions and that is where the people -- and more so the residents -- of these areas come in, by identifying the perpetrators of the gruesome murders.

Once there is no detection or solving of these crimes, it will continue to be an encouragement not a deterrent; hence the reason why most are committed in broad daylight and the “gangsta” coolly walks away.

Unless the police are scared of the Morvant/Laventille areas also, they must be able to apprehend, capture and solve these murders since they (on most occasions) link the victims to some previous murder.

They must have that burning passion and desire to eradicate the wickedness and evil plaguing the Black community and TnT as a whole.

Though I have many, many reasons to be proud of my heritage, I am very sad about this particular area.

THE EDITOR:
Mr. Dookeran, You have recently been attempting to portray yourself as a victim at the hands of the national executive.

Your incoherent ramblings at the Parliamentary Arm meeting on Thursday only served to further establish your victim syndrome.

I would like to suggest, however, that you are being less than honest with yourself and your merry handful of supporters, henceforth referred to as the Winston Dookeran 126 Committee (based on the attendance at your mass march on Saturday, April 29).

Your predicament is, unfortunately, directly of your own making.

To suggest otherwise and to lay the blame at the feet of others is to further reinforce many people’s views and indeed fears that you do not possess the necessary skills to run this great party.

Was it not you who proclaimed publicly that you did not support a slate in the internal election and then did so a few days later? (Guardian headline: I have no slate).

Was it not you who said that the members of the Progressive slate, which you headed, were the only people to take the party and country forward and you could not work with members of the Patriot slate?

Have you not been encouraging the antics of Ganga Singh, Manohar Ramsaran and others in discrediting the party and the party’s chairman ... surely you cannot claim ignorance on this matter because if it were not at your instigation, surely you did nothing to discourage it.

Was it not you who joined with the PNM in loudly thumping your Parliamentary desk during the barrage of insults hurled at the party chairman by Ganga Singh?

Have you not been having meetings all over the country, some clashing with party meetings in the same constituency on the same night, to selfishly promote yourself without even informing the national executive?

Have you not expressly stated to the national executive that the party’s commitment to meet the people via a series of constituency visits is a complete waste of time and hence the reason you do not attend?

Is it that you believe that the grassroots of the party are not as important as your friends in academic and big business?

Have you not missed several national executive meetings and those which you have attended, you have either made no contribution or left early to attend one of your parallel group meetings with Yetming, Ramsaran and the rest of your cohorts?

Have you not adopted an aloof and condescending manner with the other members of the national executive, most of whom you choose to have no verbal contact with?

THE EDITOR:
WHY is Kamla Persad-Bissessar politicising the Bangladesh Squatters issue?

The comments made by her after her meeting with officials of the Land Settlement Agency (LSA) are ill-informed, vindictive and malicious.

Wasn’t it under her tenure as Legal Affairs Minister that the Squatters Regularisation Act was enacted in 1998?

The purpose of this Act was to provide legal safeguards to persons who were squatting on State lands at that time.

Hence the reason why a survey was conducted in all squatting communities and house numbers were issued to householders.

Is it because Bangladesh is a UNC stronghold that Persad-Bissessar has now assumed the role of knight in shining armour?

In legal terms, she has no “locus standi” because the houses earmarked for demolition were constructed in 2004 and have no LSA numbers due to the fact that they were built after 1998.

Her misleading statements echo those of the recently-forgiven prodigal son, Ramesh Maharaj on the East Port of Spain Housing Redevelopment Programme.

Why is Maharaj suddenly championing the cause of these soon-to-be-relocated residents when he stood idly by and did nothing when the Roy Joseph Housing Scheme was demolished so that modern high-rise buildings could be erected to rehouse those tenants who were displaced.

Is Persad-Bissessar continuing to practice the politics of convenience and Maharaj seeking to ride the backs of the constituents of Port of Spain South to revive his dead political career?

THE EDITOR:
ON Sunday, April 9, 2006, I was travelling down Frederick Street and what I saw, I could not believe my eyes.

I was much surprised to see lots of vagrants lying on the pavement on Frederick Street.

I thought that, by now, this was supposed to be a thing of the past, as I read where government was making an attempt to get rid of these vagrants.

Sunday’s visit to Port of Spain, from the eyes of a local tourist to the capital city of TnT, was one of total disgrace, disgust and appalling.

For a country where money is not a problem, our priorities ought to be water for all, good roads (be it in pnm/unc) areas, full employment, education and a roof for all its citizens, moreso to assist the homeless -- the vagrants across the nation.

Surely, government can allocate an increased budget to the IRO and let them deal with this long overdue problem.

Where there is a will, there must be a way.

Come on, PNM, show that you are a caring government and remove all these vagrants from the streets of our nation, once and for all.

These are mentally-ill people; it is the duty of the government of the day to help the less fortunate in our society.

Until this issue is taken care of, we are surely not ready for the tourist industry.

TnT must be one of the countries in the world where crime, vagrancy and filth seem to be the order of the day. What about the Litter Act law?

Wishing the government all the best as they now have their work cut out for them.

May God bless our nation.