Silver Pen winners Uriel Williams (left), and Michael Moyston, joke around with Jenni Campbell, The Gleaner's managing editor, at the company's North Street, central Kingston office yesterday. - ANDREW SMITH /PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
URIEL WILLIAMS has been writing to The Gleaner's Opinion Page for years but he always used pen names.
He wrote a piece in response to a Gleaner editorial in December 2004 which dealt with Highway 2000 and the benefits of it. He used his name because he is strongly against the issue and now he proudly holds his Silver Pen Award and citation which he received yesterday from The Gleaner's Editor-in-Chief Garfield Grandison at the company's central Kingston offices.
"I think it (the highway) is a draconian system. We are not in charge of our own system. So I thought to myself that this (writing) was the best avenue to get the message across. I believe the pen is mightier than the sword," he said.
Mr. Williams has been a member of the Jamaica Constabulary Force for 22 years and holds the rank of detective corporal. Understandably, he is troubled by the recent police killings.
"This is one of the most critical periods in Jamaica. Sometimes I find it hard to get up and go to work. I think the only thing that keeps me going is my strong faith in God," he stated sombrely.
In his opinion piece, Det. Cpl. Williams calculated the cost of paying the $320 daily as a toll to and from May Pen for a year. He believes that the almost $100,000 he would spend could be better used for family purposes like education and health.
CONSTRUCTION IN A HURRY
He chastised the powers behind the toll for trying, in his opinion, to make back the money spent on construction in a hurry.
"They could have said, 'Let's charge $100' and then I might make the sacrifice. But everyone wants to make a fortune in one go. How do you expect people to survive?" he lamented.
He hopes that his letter will provoke thought and action with the ultimate goal being a reduction of the toll fee.
"I wrote this to stimulate public opinion. I believe in writing because I think the print media have more of an impact. What you write, stays in the mind. They can curse you today, but they will respect you tomorrow," he philosophised.
