NOTEWORTHY

Step aside, Downer

Recent questions swirling around the role of retired Justice Henderson Downer as it relates to the FINSAC commission of enquiry cannot be taken lightly. In one breath, we are hearing that Justice Downer is a member of the commission, while in another breath we are hearing that he is the legal adviser to the commission.

Justice Downer, as a judge of the Jamaican Court of Appeal, made a negative decision against former Century National Bank Chairman Don Crawford.

The presence of Justice Downer in any role during the testimony of Mr. Crawford will pose a serious conflict of interest, and so I believe that Justice Downer should recuse himself from the enquiry. I must hasten to say, though, that I do not question his integrity.

- George Lawson, New York

geelaws@hotmail.com

Overhaul WI Cricket

Dennis Morrison should stop perpetrating the myth that "the WICB has not organised to use the technical expertise of our past greats".

With the exception of the greatest of them all, Sir Garfield Sobers, just about every one of the past greats have served either as coach, manager, selector, director during the years of steady decline. I challenge him to assert otherwise.

The plain, inconvenient truth is that the West Indies cricketing community has been woefully slow in keeping up to date with modern cricket development, coaching and team selection.

Only to the extent that this cricketing community is a reflection of a Caribbean society that eschews reading (the Trinis, including a former Windies manager, didn't even read the rules for their semi-final vs Jamaica) does Morrison have a point. Until these deficiencies are recognised, blaming the board will be just another example of whistling past the graveyard.

Errol W.A. Townshend, Canada

ewat@rogers.com

I'm with Espeut

I am aware that in nature there are things that are not the norm. I am aware, too, that human beings will have continuity in a natural manner if heterosexuality, which is the norm of nature, is practised by most people on earth.

I can understand religion which seeks to accept the transcendental spirit, God, which governn all things in our universe, and Peter Espeut's arguments, in last Friday's Gleaner, within this logic.

If we must err, let us err on the side of that which allows us some continuity in this world. I support Mr Espeut.

- Ed Johnson, edward.r.johnson@gmail.com