This apart from from his meagre pledge of 1 Million Dollars seem more like an insult from the professed Father of the Nation, and God Father of the Caribbean. After all, what exactly do our Defense Force do?

Fire and Rescue Officers sit idly by day after day at their respective stations. Would not the invaluable experience of working in a disaster of this proportion be of significant benefit to our national interest? Would we not then have gained experienced staff and trainers for the Organization for Disaster Preparednesss and Management (ODPM) and it's umbrella agencies?

Within 48 hours of this disaster, many countries had forces on the ground. Countries as far as the Middle East and Asia, apart from Europe, Central, North and South America. The United States by far with the highest level of comitted aid with the aircraft carrier Carl Vincent, 15000 troops, medical and fire rescue personel and a hospital ship. All this while not one member of any Fire Service, Police, Medical or Military personel from the entire Caricom is on the ground in Haiti. Not even a pack of Panadol or a bottle of water has the caricom nations placed on the ground in Haiti 7 days after this disaster.

In a country where no effective law and order exist and a government in disarray, would it not have been prudent that the training we gave to our forces for the CHOGM and ACS conferences in crowd control been put to use? Why has the proposed fast ferry not yet left with supplies or has the Organization for Disaster Preparednesss and Management (ODPM) unable to get some bottled water and pain killers to place in the ferry.

Then again, the people of La Brea, Santa Flora, Point fortin, and Los Baja havent gotten any water for a while either.

What about our Police and Military officials? They have not done a great job of keeping the peace, so maybe it was wise not to send them after all then Mr. Manning. Do you think that we can truly look at our Two Million National flag and feel the pride now?

Haven't we not failed?