Dear Editor
For the last week or two, I have been biting my tongue and wrestling with myself about a burning issue that has me totally upset and frighten. Then, I came to the realization that it’s because of choices like this, in me wanting to remain silent is when people recognize and take advantage of each situation, then in turn walk over us and do as they like. Because of our silence and our unwillingness to stand for what we believe in, we often get nowhere in life and or left behind.
I am a parent and this matter that I’m about to bring to light to the Anguillan public is appalling, frightening and downright intolerable! Just recently, I’ve realized that there has been another Chinese Restaurant open directly above the Road Primary now called Adrian T. Hazel Primary School(A.T.H.P.S). Of all other potential vendors the best choice was a Chinese Restaurant? Seriously? And who allowed such a move? Where is planning, education dept/personnel or whomever else to disapprove such a move? Does any of the aforementioned know about the recently opened restaurant and if so actually sat down to consider the terrifying possibilities surrounding such? I mean it doesn’t take a “Rocket Scientist” to easily think of the most obvious problems associated with this matter. For instance, we all know Chinese Restaurants harbor a large crowd of alcoholics, and a wide range of other substance users and the likes. Are we seriously ok with allowing this around our children? Politicians, what happened to promoting a healthy society? The school my child attends, some year or so ago set aside a day or two weekly as a means of promoting healthy eating. On these days, the children were discouraged from bringing snacks and other foods that were high in sweet, salt, fat etc., instead, naturally grown and produced fruits and juices were among the many acceptable. So back to the question of a healthy lifestyle, do you know that when a nation is unhealthy, the nation suffers and government is forced to assist in correcting the matter? This has a chain effect/reaction because pressure is placed on government to provide necessary advanced medical facilities/ equipment, monetary assistance just to say a few to care for its own. Why not minimize some of the problems by avoiding it in the first place? If we do not stand up together and speak out against that Chinese Restaurant near our schools as a starter, we will be a nation of excessively high Cholesterol, Diabetes, High Blood pressure, Obesity, Heart Diseases, Cancer and they will one or the other be suffered by our children. The Chinese want a dollar, in fact, we all want a greater dollar but they are doing it at the expense of us! Yes we will pay less for Chinese food but the long term effects cause greater bucks to leave our pockets. As someone once said “what is cheap isn’t always good, and what is good isn’t always cheap.”
I can only image what those children at the school go through daily, I recall many years ago when Kurl had his restaurant east of a particular block near the A.L.H.C.S, somewhere near 12:00 noon the children would go wild, and lose concentration when the smell of his patties were in the air! And I can imagine the same is true for these children, and teachers at A.T.H.P.S. We as a people have allowed this adjacent the S.G.P.S, no longer as we going to sit aside and let that happen all over Anguilla, not when our children are being robbed of their fair share of health and education. Finally, you as other parents/guardians do all you do to care for your child/children in the best way possible, so I leave you with this question shouldn’t we protest against it? I’m calling all parents, concerned citizens and teachers particularly of the school to implement a plan of actions possibly demonstration to present to our education board and government.
Terrified Parent
(Published without editing by The Anguillian newspaper.)
