THE EDITOR: The recent self-assessment by the CoP was shocking. However, I want to ask the rest of Trinidad if they experienced that sense of dread, of despairing deja vu when they heard Erla Harewood-Christopher give herself the grade of “excellent.”
What immediately came across my mind was another individual who grabbed headlines for the wrong reasons and actually gave a company that responded to a crisis, which resulted in the gruesome and unforgivable deaths of four innocent men, that same “excellent” grade.
I actually cringed when that word was repeated in the media. That man stood, stone-faced, unflinching amidst the glaring truths that lay before him, the reality of these workers’ lives literally sucked into a pipeline, destroying their families, all the while those in charge on land fiddled with semantics and statistics. While other options were offered and families pleaded they do something, they shut it down, and who dead bury! This is what we call excellent. If this is the standard, then by all means the CoP’s assessment is correct, she is doing an excellent job. Those on top support her and encourage her to continue to do the same.
Just like the families of the Paria tragedy, hundreds of families will mourn and bury their dead, attempt to seek justice, and will have to wait an unflinching eternity if they ever get it here. That’s excellence in Trinidad!
RYAN MARTINEZ
Gasparillo