THE EDITOR, Sir:IN MY opinion our legal fraternity (whom we have esteemed to be among the educated elites of society) did us an injustice in their demonstration last week. I was quite disappointed that they would have chosen the medium they did to express their disgruntlement in the face of us trying to curb public disorder. They have surely set a fine precedent for our public, which I hope was their intent.
Secondly, the proposed closing of Bellevue has somewhat driven sadness in my heart because we the decision-makers in this State have brilliant ideas to reduce cost but at the cost to someone else. The land, I admit, could be utilised more efficiently and I know that the cost to maintain operations as is taxing on our budget but are our nurses properly trained to deal with these patients when sent to their local hospitals. Will they get the care they need or will they be flooding our streets before they have been rehabilitated and ready to join us in the wider society again. What will happen to the efficiency of our already burdened medical institutions?
Last but not least is the matter of our teachers. I would care to direct this at the person who wrote to you on the 10th February 2003 and said he sees the funny side to their strike. There is no funny side, ma'am. The teachers in the scenario depicted as carrying home papers with them to mark while the principals deduct their salaries etc. displays in my eyes their love and dedication to their jobs. I am sure they know they will not be paid but please do not set up the Principals of their schools as their enemy.
Unless we have failed to realised, the teachers are the ones with whom our children spend a majority of their waking hours, so we need to ensure they are properly remunerated.
They aid us and can help us even more in moulding the kind of society we want to see in years to come. After all we took care of our Ministers of Government quite well after election so I believe we should be able to award the teachers the same amount of gratitude in monetary terms.
I am, etc.,
KERRY-ANN MASON
nescafe00@hotmail.com
Kingston
Via Go-Jamaica
