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| The Express story online |
In case you missed it, the article captured the essence I've always identified whenever I write. The Sea Lots residents yesterday (Monday) admitted their untoward behaviour was the only means of pleading their community's causes.
For an area represented without a break since 1991 at local and central government level by the same political party, I cannot see how anyone can avoid putting the blame where it squarely belongs—just like in Laventille, Beetham and the whole of East Port of Spain, in Sea Lots a certain breed of elected representatives don't have Sea Lots residents to study at all. It's time the newspapers start calling a spade a spade.
Mammy used to tell me what we call now Sea Lots was once the La Basse. She explained the original Sea Lots is the area between South Quay and Independence Square North. 'La Basse' is a patwah description that means ''The Place Down Under!' in English.
Mammy used to tell me what we call now Sea Lots was once the La Basse. She explained the original Sea Lots is the area between South Quay and Independence Square North. 'La Basse' is a patwah description that means ''The Place Down Under!' in English.
20 years ago, at the ripe old age of 86, Mammy went to her grave swearing things would never improve for the people living in Laventille, Beetham and the nowadays Sea Lots, until they put people in office who don't look down on them as scum.
I remember when the Summit of the Americas was coming. The PNM government was so ashamed of Beetham and Sea Lots it decided to build a Berlin Wall with a concrete moat on one side from Morvant to the Market. The Wall was to hide the areas from visitors' view. The concrete channel was so nobody could jump over the Wall and onto the Bus Route.
I remember when the Summit of the Americas was coming. The PNM government was so ashamed of Beetham and Sea Lots it decided to build a Berlin Wall with a concrete moat on one side from Morvant to the Market. The Wall was to hide the areas from visitors' view. The concrete channel was so nobody could jump over the Wall and onto the Bus Route.
Residents appealed to their representatives to no avail, so they resorted to the Sea Lots approach. In two twos, the Wall stopped growing and work on the moat was halted. But when the opportunity came for the residents to put a proper solution in place for their problems, they fell right back into familiar territory and voted for the same uncaring party to represent them again.
O my people of Laventille and Beetham and Sea Lots! When will we learn? How many more Mammys must suffer and die before we understand that millstones representatives like what we presently have are the ones who keep us down under while the rest of the country is speeding overhead?
Candice Bartholomew-Reyes | Block 44, Trou Macaque, Laventille
O my people of Laventille and Beetham and Sea Lots! When will we learn? How many more Mammys must suffer and die before we understand that millstones representatives like what we presently have are the ones who keep us down under while the rest of the country is speeding overhead?
Candice Bartholomew-Reyes | Block 44, Trou Macaque, Laventille
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