DEAR EDITOR: I think there is call for some clarification. In the 20th chapter of the Book of Joshua, God told Joshua to instruct the various Tribes to designate certain cities as Cities of Refuge, where "the manslayer who kills any person without intent or unwittingly may flee there, they shall be for you a refuge from the avenger of blood".

This idea, which we call Sanctuary, was adopted by the Christian Church and the Christian Rulers, and Religious Places were accepted as places of Sanctuary.  

But 25 years ago Archbishop Oscar Romero was murdered while celebrating Holy Mass, and in the year 2000 eight men plotted to close the Cathedral in St. Lucia during Midnight Mass on 31 December and set the building on fire so that all the people in the building would be burnt to death.  

Fortunately five of them did not turn up, so the remaining three did as much damage as they could with gasoline and flambeaus.  One Cluny Sister was murdered and the priest who was celebrating the Mass was severely burnt and died of his burns some time later.   A few years earlier in another Church in St. Lucia, a Cluny Sister was chopped to death outside the Church.

In the newspapers of 2 January 2008 it was reported that 50 persons were burnt to death in a Church in Kenya.   And we know that in Rwanda people who sought refuge in Church buildings were killed by having the buildings collapse on them.

We are forced consequently to recognise that sacred places are no longer respected as places of Sanctuary.

I congratulate Fr. Rochard on his recognising the change in the situation and taking those steps he sees fit to safeguard the lives of his parishioners.

Fr. Arthur Lai-Fook, C.S.Sp.,
Holy Ghost Fathers.

DEAR EDITOR: Happy New Year. From one peaceful, joyous and holy season of Christmas and, in a mere five weeks, another season will be celebrated - the festival we call Carnival. What a contrast!

Exactly five weeks after the New Year’s Day holiday, the streets of Port of Spain will come alive with the sweet songs of pan, music, dance, song, revelry, wining, and an explosion of colour. Even weeks before the Yuletide season, Carnival was launched, and preparations are in full gear for Carnival 2008.

As in previous years, will we witness more drunkery, an exposure of more flesh, a sexual “orgy” of pleasure, an excuse for letting down your hair? And why has the festival been allowed to be degraded to such a manner?

Yet, on the other hand, there is the beauty and splendour of the creativity of the Trinbogonian in our “blessed” land, the creativity of the panman/woman on the national instruments, the elaborate costumes/costuming of the masquerader, the national song with its varying messages.

Will we ever see a return to the “good old days” when both masquerader and onlooker were both entertained by the costuming of the day?

Anyway, I can speculate and hope. Why not? Anyway fellow citizens, I do urge you to keep the season incident free, have a good time, do not overindulge in the festivities and above all be safe as you move and go about your Carnival activities. Have a happy Carnival 2008.
Ken Smith
Woodbrook

DEAR EDITOR: In advocating the use of the verb “finds” as opposed to the verb “find” in the National Anthem (our prayer in song) there is no rational in support of same.

Claims were being made in the past that in consultation with the writer he suggested that the grammarians deal with the contentious issue.
Is one expected to interpret and conclude from the writer’s remarks an admission of a grammatical error to justify the use of the verb – “finds”?

This would be in total contradiction to one of the basic grammatical rules taught to pupils in schools on – “Agreement of Subject and Verb”.
RULE: “Two Singular Subjects joined by “and” takes a plural verb”.
So far no grammatical rules have been put forward to substantiate the use of the verb “finds”.

Creed and race denote singularity and are therefore two singular subjects.

Here creed and race “find” an equal place.
“Creed” denotes a set or group of religious beliefs.
“Race” denotes a set of ethnic groups.
In grammar – group words are termed Collective Nouns
Therefore “creed” and “race” are Collective Nouns.
Collective Nouns are said to be singular in Number and considered as One.

Hence the application of the already stated grammatical rule.
“Here every “creed” (Singular Subject) and “race” (Singular Subject) find an equal place.”

Another reason in support of the verb “find” is that the Distributive Adjective “every” is not repeated before the second noun, “race” hence the grammatical rule states that in such a case the verb is generally used in the plural form – “find”.
(P. Lyndon Roberts ACP Professor E.E. Denny) in their book
Common Errors in Language -  Written and Spoken.

Collective Nouns when used singly take singular verbs.
The team (is) (plays). The choir (was) (sings).
Every creed finds – every race finds.

But “every creed and race find an equal place. With regard to the interpretation of the word ,“here” (in this place) It was an already established fact when the Anthem was written that all citizens in the country were entitled to equal rights.

Hoping that the logic expressed herein would put an end to this whole controversy and in conclusion –

All sing – “Here every Creed and Race find an equal place” which is right in the Anthem.
Zita H. Allong – Marabella