EDITOR: This letter comes to address a certain disparity. There is a personal example, but first let me generalize. Our police force prioritizes the small fry for recurrent arrests and jail terms, while high fliers of crime go free. The small fry somehow do not benefit from the horrors of local jail, even at the new Belle Isle prison, and are seldom rehabilitated placing the public in clear and present danger of theft and violence. 

My best friend of the last two and a half years, is a gentleman who doesn’t fit the stereotype of criminal. We’ve discussed our favourite writers, Michael Crichton and James Patterson, and the middle east situation, street life and his phenomenon the ex con who, however reformed or responsibly acting, is never given a chance by this damned Vincentian society. That goes for ex-residents of the Mental Health rehabilitation Centre (MHRC) also, didn’t you know? 

I have a special affinity with my best friend as with my cigarettes too, he battles an addiction. I’ve seen him toss the instrument twice in attempts to quit. No offense officials, but Marion House is not seen by the general populace of addicts as a solution for their addictions. Why? It’s quite simple, there is no privacy in a milieu of commess and gossip and demeaning of clients, not to mention nothing can prepare them for the UNIVERSAL HATE and lack of forgiveness for offenders who have lost their way, by all and sundry. 

 Editor, as you know, I am a strong critic of newspapers in SVG. I think you have the best track record of integrity of all three though. You were the only candidate for that profile done on myself by Kennard King, a pastor who really cares, as evidenced by the sincere and salient pieces he contributes to the local journalism scene. The two offending papers, in terms of said integrity which I can prove, declined obviously to publish it. As you know I am through with journalism, but I remember fondly our relationship on some MHRC articles which raised awareness, but not action, in our apathetic public. 

Please permit me space though on the exception to which I will always respond to journalistically Mammoth injustice. So with your blessing, there WILL be follow-ups on the street scene surrounding the arrest of my friend, next being one of those small fry who goes free after stealing thousands of dollars worth of property. In particular I am seriously sympathetic to the Prep School street vendor who he robbed, denied the crime, after bragging about it to the community.

Just as with a near rape in my case. 

Thanks for listening, and with your blessing see you next week.

Ex journalist, Colin King