DEAR EDITOR: I was contemplating on Mary and it struck me that there was something powerful in the love displayed between Mary and her Son Jesus.

This love was not described often in words but in a silence that was even more intense than words. It was as if just by a look, Mother Mary knew what her Son Jesus was thinking and vice-versa. There are several images of Mary - Mary as virgin mother; open and receptive to God's will for her.

Mary as woman, full of grace and bountifully filled with the Holy Spirit. Mary as mother of the world. If we transcend from our spiritual mother to our earthly mothers we will see that mothers have a special gift of “knowing”; a special sense of bonding with their children and often a spiritual knowledge of what is happening with them at any point in time.

The love between a mother and her son is unique. It is often talked about, and it is sometimes said, “A son can do no wrong”. Even the way we socialise sons is different.

A level of “free-way” is given more so to sons than daughters. How therefore, does this translate into our changing society where our menfolk are crying out? Is it by coincidence that there were approximately six buggerings of young boys that I am aware of highlighted in the newspapers?

This is by no means a true indication of the number of young men who may be abused each day. But we live in a society that says: “Men shouldn't cry. Men should be tough. Men shouldn't speak about their pain and shame.”

We live in a society that says that men should not show their pain and grief. They should not talk about it and if they do their male and female counterparts often make them regret their disclosure. Is this lack of disclosure causing the self-destruction of some of our men; the rage and aggressiveness, the violence?

What kind of love do we need to show to each other, especially our men? It is a love showed by Mary for her Son Jesus. A love that was not found in a lot of superfluous words, especially as many men are not easily in touch with the emotional sides of themselves; rather a love that says, “I will be with you”. “I support you”. “I will walk with you, often in silence, just to show that I care.”

CLEVA WEEKES , Vistabella

Dear Editor: I am writing as a concerned citizen who lives in the north-western peninsula. For all too many of us, La Brea, Cedros and Chatham seem far removed, but we simply cannot afford to be oblivious to the social and ecological crisis that is looming.

It is critical that all citizens become aware of all that is at stake with regard to the proposed industrialisation of the south-western peninsula that is being touted as being in the best interest of those communities and the nation as a whole.

We have a moral responsibility to seek the truth, to examine issues critically and to take a firm stand in defence of all that promotes life and true development of our country and its people.

In a particular way, I believe that many persons who live in the north-west peninsula, should be able to understand and empathise with the joys, the longings and the anguish of the communities of the south-west peninsula because we share some common fundamental experiences.

Firstly, as with fellow citizens elsewhere, we are striving to create safe, healthy and caring communities in which to raise our families. We would loathe and vehemently protest against having our lands and homes claimed by government, our children dislocated and our communities destroyed to make way for massive industrial development. Yet, this is exactly the misfortune that is facing some citizens in the south-western peninsula.

Secondly, the sea and mountains are close and constant companions to north-westerners. They lift our spirits and no doubt very many rejoice in the tranquil beauty of Chaguaramas, which is a welcome weekend haunt.

We cannot conceive of its destruction with thousands of trees uprooted, habitats destroyed and the landscape scarred to make way for two smelters totalling over 400,000 metric tonnes of product a year among other industries.

Yet, at the time of writing, 1,000 acres of forested land have already been cleared for the proposed ALUTRINT smelter in Union Village, La Brea by bulldozing crews that came like thieves in the night, and another 2,000 + acres in the south-west are looking down the barrel of a gun, as it were! In addition, those coastal communities are also facing the loss of beaches and recreation areas to make way for a port to serve these industries.

Thirdly, we are people with dreams, eager to lead fulfilling lives and to create opportunities for our children to succeed and thrive. Our fellow citizens of the Cedros peninsula also dream and have ambitions and longings for themselves and their children.

They are not against economic development but rather this particular model of industrialisation! What they want and are proposing is a long-term development plan that is in harmony with the environment and economically sustainable.

The big question facing us as a country is whether we should base our future development on a model of industrialisation that is extremely hazardous, unsustainable, irreparably damaging to the environment, and largely foreign-owned and controlled, when as a people, we have other viable options.

Better than any smelter would be the active development of fishing, including fish -farms, eco-tourism, agriculture and their many possible spin-off industries and manufacturing that would remain in the hands of citizens of Trinidad and Tobago.

Such activities will promote independent, sustainable living for generations to come, will keep communities and the environment intact and will ensure our food security.

Indeed, Paul Quesnel, President of the TTMA clearly advised in an address two weeks ago that “The only way to fight the increases (of goods imported) is to buy local and grow more food.” 

Why then are we destroying agricultural land and increasing our dependency on imported food?

We are all fellow-travellers and this twin-island nation is our common space. It is therefore imperative that as citizens, we educate ourselves to think critically and act creatively, courageously and in solidarity on vital issues of development.

Solidarity is a duty that rests on both individuals and nations. It calls us to see differently, to judge differently and to act differently. Not to attend to the common good would be to the detriment of others and ultimately ourselves.

Mary Lochan, Westmoorings