Dear Editor,

Two articles appearing in the May 30 Sunday Observer on the subject of Mr Seaga’s comments relating to the Tivoli situation communicate two different positions.

The first, “Seaga goes for Golding’s jugular” is a very good summary of points made by Mr Seaga in an interview with CVM in which he outlined, among other things, why he was critical of Mr Golding’s preformance as a political representative.

I also heard in a media interview, Mayor Desmond McKenzie, as councillor for Tivoli Gardens, saying that he and Mr Golding had neglected their political responsibilites to the constituency. This can only mean that if they had paid attention so much destruction would not have occurred.

It is clear that leadership and visibility are needed

in inner-city constituencies, especially those with garrisons, as has been the case in other areas (remember Zeeks), or the vacuum will be filled by persons who can manipulate the lucrative marketplace in the US for drugs and the purchase of guns. Where there is a willing buyer there will always be a willing seller, no matter what risks are involved.

When will the affected countries such as Mexico, Central and South America join together and lobby for the USA to do more to control their marketplace which creates this situation? The irony of this all is that it is now reported that the USA is the largest producer of ganja in the world.

I consider the editorial of May 30, “Share the blame, Mr Seaga” biased and irrational. The editor had the audacity to ask why Mr Seaga had not come out sooner expressing his criticism directly to Mr Golding when it is a well known fact that he had, since his retirement, not been consulted or asked for any advice by leaders of his former political party.

The most disrespectful statement in this biased, judgemental editorial is to suggest that Mr Seaga should be denied his right to comment on points of interest to him in the running of his country, to which he has made such a contribution and has devoted more than 40 years of his life because he now occupies a position in the world of academia to which he devotes himself.

This diatribe which is being passed off as an editorial in your most

respected publication should not go unchallenged.

Mr Seaga is far from perfect as we all are, but no one can deny him the right to his opinion, especially those who have not faced what he has in his many years of devoted service to Jamaicans and Jamaica.

Someone once told me and I quote: “If it were not for Mr Seaga we all probably would be speaking Spanish now.” Maybe some regret that that road was not taken.

Bev Tomlin

bevtomlin@gmail.com