A former police officer who is a member of the adult red-shirt gang, also known as the big red machine, asked me if I meant to compare the Antigua Labour Party and the United Progressive Party with the gangs of young people who have been engaged in violent crime? I replied that I did, because words can be weapons, and can be used to incite persons to fear and hate each other.

One only has to listen to some of our radio stations to hear the disgusting, disgraceful, disrespectful things that we say about each other. This can cause neighbours in a peaceful country to turn against each other, it can divide families and communities, it can cripple and render ineffective institutions such as the police and the courts and in some cases it can lead to violence. When this type of violence erupts the dead are usually counted in hundreds or thousands. We cannot afford to let this happen.

We could use these same radio stations in meaningful ways, for example, to disseminate public information and provide further learning for adults.

Rupert E. Henry