Eliminating housing poverty

In light of the offer from the Chinese Government to help the Housing Association of Jamaica (HAJ) provide low income housing, it is imperative that the association assesses its priorities. At present they sell houses - or 'housing solutions'. This is essentially the same job the National Housing Trust (NHT) does. What they conveniently forget is that poor people - the same people the HAJ is supposed to be helping - can't afford mortgages. As a result of this, most of these people are condemned to life in terrible overcrowded conditions.

The HAJ needs to change its operation to start providing flats/apartments for rent at reduced rates. This is what all the developed nations do. Ironically, the type and design of buildings the NHT currently uses for the Inner-City Housing Project is what the HAJ should be aiming for all across Jamaica.

- J. Williams

patoisman@yahoo.com

London, England

Sports racism?

I was enjoying the Test cricket currently underway in the West Indies until I noticed a curious phenomenon: an excessive number of leg before wicket (lbw) calls against the West Indian batsmen by the umpires. Maybe it's not a good idea to have these men from Australia and South Africa officiate games that challenge their biases. Here it is four wickets down and all by lbw decisions. It appears unjust.

I hope the WI Cricket Board will have the fortitude to insist that certain umpires not appear in matches involving our team.

Has anyone not noticed that around the world in any sporting activity that pits whites against blacks, no black official is used?

The world is run by whites to the detriment of non-whites, but it should not exist in black counties.

- Ted Langshaw

calabar60@hotmail.com

Maryland

Importance of Black history

Though I share some of the fatigue of the writer of 'Tired of Black History focus' (February 20), I urge caution in respect to any move to mothball Black History celebrations or programming.

History is often ugly, but by regurgitating and rehashing its contents we can better understand ourselves and our world, and avoid falling again into needless pitfalls.

Every good student of history knows that from the troubled shores of Africa to the slave fields of the Americas and the Caribbean 'Negroes' were culpable in the enslavement of 'Negroes'.

Our own Jamaican Maroons, one may recall, often returned runaway slaves to their slave masters.

Hence, one such morsel of history could have dispelled the notion that the sole purpose of Black History is to blame the white man, totally, for our predicament.

- ALDINGTON B. MURRAY

Alrosem98@aol.com