V Ungratefulness is like witchcraft
THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2013. 9.
Letters
THERE IS AN OLD adage that says, ‘ungratefulness is like witchcraft’, this is how I will refer to the Leader of the Opposition in his so-called open letter to the Founder of the NDP. The post was given to him against the wishes of the NDP supporters at the time, but who had to eat humble pie to avoid any mayhem or confusion at the time. So, having gotten into the position of leadership, it was when the confusion started. Clearly, he wanted to do things his way, whilst Sir James had other ideas; but this is the heart of the matter; you cannot refer to Sir James as one of the Founding fathers, he is the “founding father”. The point that I am making, is that Sir James is still of the view, he is the owner of the party. Even though the leader is currently the president of the Party, he cannot believe that he is ultimately the guru, and that the Founder is out. But again, no one is surprised, and it is only the beginning of their woes. All I will say, they just give Dr. Friday, the first Vice-president to keep him quiet, but no one knows, what is going through his mind, and the Leader of the Opposition must realize that he must not underestimate the Founder, he is no way out of
the woods. By the way, did I not hear the Chairman, Dr. Lewis, on a programme Sunday night, mention something about ‘discipline’? Are they contemplating to discipline Sir James? Can you imagine that the only position that was challenged was that of the Chairman at their convention? All I can say is that the leaders of the Opposition are living in a dream world. Let him read a letter from Dr. Cyrus of the health care at the hospital. Only a few die-hard supporters would say, how hard the economy is, but they must check the fast food, KFC, Sub-Way et-al, the lining up of the barbeque grills on weekends. Time alone will tell that they are only talking; but by the time of the next election, they would not have anything to speak about. Randolph Peters
Dishonest judgment WHEN ARE we going to set honest judgment in this country?
some church leaders were caught in a big dirty act which caused the church to pay out big settlements. World future Instead of these Where is the world churches stamping out these dirty acts, the going to today? Which perpetrators were given country must we look up to as the role model? a promotion instead. They started a Which of these denominations must we campaign for same sex trust? Which marriage, and before you know it, it was no denomination is longer an following the true embarrassment. Am I faith? Which world right to say the leader is sending a promotion of same sex good signal to the put the world where it people? When these is today? The Bible questions were put to says that God the audience, no one destroyed the world for had an answer. One that very same man in the audience took the stage to behaviour. I can support the answer all the man because what he questions. He said is saying is quite there is no country he will look up to because evident today: no they are saying one money, no job, big demonstrations all thing and doing the over, businesses closing other. He went on…. down, shooting every e.g. they said do not day all over the world, flog your kids, but the said country will give kids making kids, and money to build jails to on and on. The man put them in when they was given a standing ovation from the get out of hand. audience because every They put out a point he made was campaign to stop prayers in schools. One correct. kid who ignored the campaign got into To marry Mr. Wanner trouble. The man said some churches are There is a lot of marrying people, but critical circumstances those church leaders surrounding medicinal are not married marijuana. For years, themselves. He said there was a fight to
stop marijuana around the world. The drugs bring wealth around the world to those who deal in it. People get the crave to smoke and will do anything to supply their habit. A few years ago, a study came out to say it was good for some ailment. The big governments decided to make it available for medicinal purposes only. Lovers of marijuana were glad to hear about the break-through. Can you imagine a professional who wanted to smoke weed all along but was afraid of losing his/her job? Soon there will be long lines of sick professionals. How will it look to see Magistrates smoking, police smoking, doctors and nurses smoking, pilots smoking, judges smoking, ministers smoking, and if they were being caught their excuses will be that they are sick? Who is going to police medicinal marijuana to make sure the amount caught with was legal? SPY
Whether with all the unison of praise showered by Vincentians on the late Nelson Mandela: ~ If Government will now join many other countries in declaring July 18 annually as Nelson Mandela Day? ~ And whether the Opposition will not only give its support but jointly participate in relevant national activities on the day? ~ Do the Budget figures dance up and down to election tunes? ~ If it’s a ploy to gain freedom by pleading guilty to manslaughter after years on remand for murder? ~ Why the local Human Rights Association is more concerned about the accused than the victims of violent crimes?
TRIBUTES TO NELSON MANDELA THIS IS A STORY of a man who has struggled to ensure South Africa’s freedom from white minority leadership. His name is Nelson Mandela (often called by his clan name ‘Madiba’). His plea for all of South Africa still echoes today from these words in the court house dock on his sentencing: “I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die”. This was the man ‘Madiba’ whose faith has never wavered. Though imprisoned, he never lost sight of his dream that one day he will become a leader. From prisoner to president, Madiba kindled a flame in South Africa. A flame which burns bright with peace, love and forgiveness. No longer enslaved by the colour of one’s skin, but the human condition where we can live in peace and harmony as brothers and sisters. His memory still lives on and such assurance can be found in his stellar conviction: “What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead”. — Nelson Rest in peace ‘Madiba’. --- Yanik Sayers
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THERE IS SO MUCH I want to say about this great man, Nelson Mandela, that I struggled to see where I could start and finish. Nelson Mandela made all black people across the globe proud, and inspired many to greatness. But the thing that seems to stick in my mind is Mandela’s relationship to sports. I am no rugby fan, but I will never forget how the great man used a Rugby World Cup staged in his country, to dismantle the last bastions of apartheid. By simply putting on the green and gold jersey of the South African Rigby team, a sport that like most during the years of apartheid had been the territory of whites only, Mandela reached out to all South Africans, to the extent that those blacks who before would have turned their back on the ‘all-white’ rugby team, rallied behind the team which went on to victory. South Africa was never the same after that. Mandela’s relationship with sport and the value he placed on it can never be over-emphasised. It is almost weird that Mandela’s last public appearance was at the Football World Cup held in South Africa in 2010. To borrow a cricket reference, Nelson Mandela played an innings that will be recalled for generations to come. --- Garnet, N.Y.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ MANDELA, your death has brought many world leaders together, less than your life. You will forever be remembered by all freedom fighters globally. Your memory to us will be second to our Messiah out of Palestine. Our greatest hope is to see your burial on Christmas day — the day that they celebrate our Messiah’s birth, but by the time these words are printed, your body may be already secured. Just like a seed has to die in the earth for a new plant to appear, so too, your death will cause many more freedom fighters like you to appear to finish the work our God gave you to do. We will continue to struggle for freedom, and equal rights and justice for all people the world over. From a prisoner to a president in dark and divided South Africa, you have shown light and broken down the racial and economically divided walls, and enabled all people to recognize the oneness of humanity. You are gone, but not forgotten, your non- violent revolutionary spirit will remain with us, and we will destroy the evils with that fighting spirit. May your soul rest in peace as we continue the struggle for the oneness of humanity — the kingdom of God. --- A Christian Democrat