Secretary General of the Organisation of American States (OAS) Jose Miguel Insulza says the Caribbean region needs to have a serious debate about the drug problem. "It is very important that the discussions that we started at the assembly of the OAS only a month ago can open a way for a debate on the matter. We have been worrying about the issue of drugs for the last 40 years. A lot of drugs were confiscated in 2010, but half of the cocaine that was produced was confiscated. Sadly, the drug trade continues," Insulza said. [continues 209 words]
US Defense Secretary Robert Gates visited Barbados late last week in what was the final leg of a Latin American and Caribbean tour -- that also included stops in Peru and Colombia. Gates' visit to Barbados, where he held talks with regional security chiefs, has been viewed by experts as an attempt to gauge progress in the Obama administration's Caribbean Basin Security Initiative, which was launched in late December 2009. It remains unknown at the time of writing whether a security delegation from Trinidad & Tobago attended the talks. When contacted on Wednesday afternoon, a spokesman at the Ministry of National Security could shed no further light on the matter. "I am not sure who, if anyone, will be attending. We are in the middle of an election campaign and they are busy with that at the moment." [continues 921 words]
When are people going to wake up and realise that the war on drugs (started by the US) is the main reason for the escalation in criminal activity. Legalise and regulate drugs and you take away a valuable commodity from the black market. To put it simply: those who are in support of a drug war are supporting everything that comes with the black market. Wake up, people. The war on drugs is more dangerous to everyone than drugs are. It is because drugs are illegal that people get killed over them. Wake up, corrupted and sleeping politicians. End the drug war now. Eric Knudsen [end]
In the fight against crime there can be no compromise and there must be zero tolerance for those whose inefficiency is resulting in the escalation in criminal activity. The statistics reveal that if the present trend remains unattended there will be about 250 murders at the end of 2004. This estimate is higher than the 229 murders committed in 2003. The reality is that this Government has failed miserably in its duty to provide national security and it is time for citizens to send a clear and powerful message to the Prime Minister and his Cabinet that enough is enough! [continues 953 words]
Carnival does affect the behaviour of some children. But Minister of Education Hazel Manning must make up her mind about the causes of the daily stabbings, sex trade, drug trade, bullying, gang wars and violence by students against each other or teachers. Relying on advisers, she last week blamed drugs for the violence. The week before, she claimed the violence was a seasonal affair and that it will die down after Carnival. Both theories cannot be true, even if drugs may have a constant impact on many aspects of student behaviour. [continues 802 words]
Allow me to advance a few points to the great uncle and mother of Kevon Stewart, a student of Arima Senior Comprehensive School, who was sentenced to six months in prison for the possession of marijuana. Kevon was fully aware that he was given marijuana to give to someone else. He had the option to say no or report the matter to the principal. He chose neither. He knew what he was doing was wrong. It is a very flimsy and baseless excuse to say that he (Kevon) was afraid of the bullies in school. [continues 101 words]
One wonders if the criminal element will suspend its kidnapping and killing activities on Christmas Day. But alas, this may be asking too much from a godless bunch of cowards who has sparked an extraordinary degree of fear in the hearts of thousands of citizens. But this should not surprise us. John 8:44 states: "From the very beginning he was a murderer, and has never been on the side of truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he is only doing what is natural to him, because he is a liar and the father of all lies." [continues 1208 words]
UWI principal Dr Bhoe Tewarie is prepared to crack down on illegal drugs on the St Augustine campus. "I want this campus to be a drug-free zone and I am prepared to deal severely with drugs, drug consumers and drug pushers," said Tewarie. He made the statement last Friday when he addressed some 2,000 new students at the Freshers Orientation and Icebreaker Programme. Up until Friday, there were 3,400 newly-registered students, some of whom were not at the orientation session, which was held at the Sport and Physical Education Centre on the campus. [continues 201 words]
