Be that source of light, ray of hope

THE EDITOR: I know hundreds of very good, intelligent people who can make fantastic contributions to TT. They live a life where integrity, fairness and development are intermingled with honesty and a desire to build their community and family. These people are not contaminated by race or political loyalty. But no matter how hard I try, they would not get involved in politics.

HOPE is a political party with a few good people, but for HOPE to make any impact on the political climate, the good people of TT must find it in their hearts to become part of the solution and join with those in HOPE to offer a choice of good governance to TT.

The daily newspapers and social media are saturated with commentaries from people all over the country making suggestions for a better quality of life for our citizens. Yet those commentators would not dare take the chance and join with anyone to offer a better choice for the country.

There is hardly anyone who will argue with the suggestion that tourism is a diamond in the rough. The natural resources combined with effective management can tremendously increase our foreign exchange income. Yet this government and those of the past seem only to be interested in gaining foreign income from the energy sector. A sector that is declining every day.

TT has very fertile lands and great climate, it has a history of very successful agricultural endeavours. Cocoa, coffee, citrus, peas, corn, rice, avocados, coconuts, bananas, and a variety of vegetables have been success crops for farmers. With the right incentives and proper management, food security and income from food export can become a reality.

We have the ability and personnel to immediately reduce the levels of criminal activity in the country. We simply do not have the political will to deal with the criminal gangs that have infiltrated the politics of the nation.

If the people of TT believe that the status-quo political parties will one day be the solution, they are mistaken. Until the good people decide to wake up and join with people like those in HOPE to offer the voting population a viable alternative to what exists, the darkness will continue.

Divali is celebrated at one of the darkest nights of the year, but it demonstrates that regardless of the overwhelming darkness, one by one we can be that source of light and soon overcome the darkness. One deya at a time, one person at a time, let us be that source of light and bring hope to a nation that seems engulfed in darkness.

Happy Divali.

STEVE ALVAREZ

via e-mail