Columns

Sickle cell disease is a complex inherited disorder of the red blood cells. This disorder was first described in 1910 and has a variable clinical course and at present has no universal cure.

Alternatives to incarceration for juveniles

More and more there has been a concern with how to deal with juvenile offenders. When juveniles commit crimes there are often few rehabilitative options to address underlying reasons for offending at the disposal of the Criminal Justice System. Because of this, often times juvenile offenders end up in prison.

Last week on the kind of rainy night when people generally prefer to stay indoors and under the covers, a group of Anguillians braved the elements and met at the Teachers’ Resource Centre Auditorium to discuss the Draft Education Plan.

Bartholin’s cysts or abscesses are common problems in women of reproductive age. Many women with these conditions have severe pain and discomfort prior to receiving adequate treatment.

Homicide

The law of homicide deals with the unlawful killing of a human being by another human being. There are essentially two types of homicide: murder and manslaughter. The crime of infanticide may also be included.

For years now I have been inundated by requests from people seeking a peek at my compendium of quotes by Anguilla’s political leaders. Indeed, some of the quotes are quite apt. Like this one from Albert Hughes (1989): “The risk is too riskful.” And from Hubert Hughes (2001): “Public relations makes a woman who has a thousand bumps on her face . . . look as smooth as a 2001 Ford because she is so well made up.”

On 10th June 1967, something nearly happened, and had it gone as planned, this event would have changed the outcome of the Anguilla Revolution in ways that would have gone on record as having been bloody and dramatic.

Many countries of the world, including Anguilla will celebrate World Blood Donor Day on 14 June. Among other things it is a day of celebration to honour and thank all those people who donate their blood on a voluntary, unpaid basis to give the most precious gift of all- the Gift of Life. In Anguilla there are several individuals who continue to be voluntary blood donors and often go unappreciated by the community. These individuals play a vital role in saving the lives of many individuals in our island. All of us here in Anguilla should be proud of these individuals and I am encouraging more individuals to join this important group of voluntary non-remunerated blood donors. The theme for this year’s World Blood Donor Day is “Celebrating your gift of blood”.

UNDERSTANDING ALTERNATIVES TO INCARCERATION.

“Alternative sentencing” is the buzzword for an increasingly visible movement in the criminal justice system from custodial toward non-custodial sentences. This movement has been inspired by overcrowded and non-rehabilitative prisons. More and more magistrates and judges are beginning to work with prosecutors and defense lawyers to impose non-traditional sentences.

Africa is alive and well in Panama. That was evident during the opening ceremony of the Hispanic Rastafari Diaspora Conference that is winding down as I write to you on the evening of Anguilla Day. One of the persons honoured during the opening ceremony was the Congo Queen of Colon and the degree of honour and regard shown by all present was certainly not just ceremonial but a reflection of the psychological necessity to protect and preserve the Congo culture that has been handed down from generation to generation.

Many individuals have suffered from food poisoning at one time or the other in their lives. In many countries the incidence of food poisoning appears to be increasing especially during the warmer months of the year. Food poisoning can be a very serious illness although in most instances it is just a mild illness and clears up within a few days.

The newly established Anguilla Probation Service commenced in January 2005. Over the past several months several initiatives have been undertaken by the Department with the view of fulfilling our mandate which is the provision of probation services on the island of Anguilla. The following is a brief outline of a few of those initiatives.

I am not sure that crisis is the right word to use but it must be something that has me sitting in a hotel room in Guyana, pondering over the question of what it means to be Anguillian. Not me you know. I am not putting myself in this bracket at all but I am remembering when words like, “proud”, “industrious”, “thrifty”, and “fiercely independent”, were used to characterize Anguillians and I cannot help but wonder what may have been added to or deleted from that list since the Anguilla Revolution.

Foreign bodies in the ear are a common cause for individuals visiting the emergency room at a hospital. Foreign bodies in the ear frequently occur in children but also occur in adults.

Anything connected with dying and death makes me fearful writing about it. At times when one writes about such phenomena something along such lines usually happens to the author. I remember the late Maestro, a famous Trinidadian calypsonian, composing and singing a calypso (in 1978) about a car crash and lo and behold he died in a car crash a short while after. So I hope and pray that my writing about death does not hasten mine nor signal that it is close.

The donkey works, but the horse is promoted.
- Haitian proverb

As we approach the International Day of Solidarity with Haiti on Wednesday May 18th, I am torn between sharing the persistent flow of gory details being lived and experienced on a daily basis by some of the poorest people on earth and sharing some of the richest products of human creativity that this region has produced.

Urinary tract infections are a common cause for individuals to see their physician. It can cause much discomfort to the individual, restrict activity and also cause absence from work. Left untreated urinary tract infections can lead to serious kidney complications.

Someone called me on the telephone: “Brother Pet, the House on fire!” My first reaction was, “Call the fire truck!” He said: “Not that kind of House! Ah mean di House of Assembly!” And then he went on: “Hubert Hughes giving David hell, saying that he cannot be working for Flag Luxuries and also be Speaker of the House at the same time; that he cannot serve two masters; that there is serious conflict of interest and that you cannot trust the rat to mind the cheese!” He also said that Victor Banks called Hubert a mega-yacht maniac (his version of megalomaniac).

“…You have to know what you are, and what you can do.
And this nobody can teach you except yourselves, by your own activities and the lessons that you draw from them…”

Genital herpes is just one of the many sexually transmitted infections that occur in Anguilla. Approximately 90% of individuals who have the virus that causes genital herpes are not aware of the infection. Like other sexually transmitted diseases, prevention is vital in decreasing the spread of this condition. The physical symptoms of genital herpes can be tremendous, but the psychological impact of genital herpes can also be severe, resulting in feelings of depression, fear and feelings of isolation.