Dearest Patrick

Dearest Patrick,

I hope that this finds you well, though I must admit that I am very upset by what I have been hearing. The ancient Greek playwright Euripides once opined that ‘‘those whom the Gods wish to destroy, they first make mad” so only time will tell whether this latest incident does indeed mark the beginning of the end for you. But surely Patrick, even you must admit that the antics of a democratically elected Prime Minister complete with an entire cavalcade of motorcycle outriders and protective detail, storming or otherwise, into a radio station to complain about an apparently errant broadcast, speak of a man seemingly starting to misplace his marbles. The jesters among us joke that this is the fastest that they have seen you move in some time; with some even suggesting that you should give Usain Bolt a run for his money in 2012.

But this is no laughing matter Patrick, and what is even more perplexing is the fact that you cannot seem to grasp that what you did was wrong; not illegal in any way, but just plain wrong. You are not Mano Manolal from LP#45, Swamp Trace, Caroni. You cannot stumble out of Smokey and Bunty’s at five in the morning and then vomit on the pavement, nor can you be seen to be ‘doing the donkey’ at Flour Mills fete with some scantily clad female wining in your face- what is good enough for the pastor’s daughter isn’t necessarily good enough for you. You are Patrick Augustus Mervyn Manning, Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the second largest English speaking entity in the region and a major regional player! Is it really too much to ask that you conduct yourself with a standard of decorum befitting your status? Patrick, I know that this Prime Minister thing isn’t all that it’s cranked up to be, and must indeed get a bit difficult and lonely sometimes; especially with you and Keith not pulling so good these days and Martin not really pulling his weight . You don’t have to tell me Patrick, I know– they reel you in with the talk of the big house, the big car, the big motorcade, the endless travel etc. They never mention anything about leadership, hard-work, constant criticism- alas, not even one word about good governance. It’s only when they have you hooked- line and sinker, that they throw in all that bullshit and expect you to be able to deal with it. 

Don’t get me wrong Patrick because I will be one of the first to agree that the general standard of journalism in our country leaves a lot to be desired. Just yesterday I was listening to 96.1FM online and was dismayed by the utter garbage that was supposedly passing for news and entertainment. But you know what I did Patrick, as seemingly strange and far-fetched as the idea might be to you? I switched over and found another station to listen to. I know, I know, a little drastic but hey, sometimes needs must. There are also times when I get fed up with reading the Guardian…so I buy the Express, or the Newsday, or vice versa, or other times, I read none! This concept may seem a bit alien to you at first but I promise that once you get the hang of it, it will soon become second nature. I must also tell you Patrick that pot must be very careful before he starts calling kettle’s bottom black. While this may come as a great surprise to you Patrick, there are many out there who are fed up with the way that you are doing your job. And just as you pine for a more professional media, we too also long for a more accountable government. Just as you pine for more balanced journalism, we too long for a country in which we can live for the most part, free from crime and free from the fear of crime. But Patrick, do you see me standing outside your gate? 

Patrick, the man on the street couldn’t care less about what the media says about you, or anybody else for that matter. People aren’t worried about their finances because of something they heard on 94.1; they are worried because the same chicken that cost $40.00 in Hilo last month is now $50.00 this month. People don’t feel unsafe simply because of something they read in the papers; they feel unsafe because the relatively innocuous task of getting out of the car and opening the gate is now fraught with danger. People aren’t cussing the government because of something they saw on the news; they cuss because they have to drive on some of the worst roads in the entire planet in a country that has an endless supply of asphalt. 

Anyways Patrick, I think I have said enough for now but I promise that I will write to you again soon. Wishing you God’s grace until we speak again- take care and give my love and regards to Hazel.

Yours ever

Kito