Dear Editor,
In the 40’s and 50’s, a police constable would tap the offender on the shoulder and tell him “You are under arrest,” and the culprit would accompany the police to the police station. Not now! The offender would retaliate with a pistol.

Murder was committed once a year, and the Creole women would leave their rice-and-beans and go to the Supreme Court just to listen to the verdict.

I attended St. John’s College in 1951 and boarded on Pickstock Street with Ms. Ethel Wade — three houses past George Price’s house.

And I used to listen to Mr. Price inviting Ms. Ethel to attend the PUP meetings at Majestic Theater. I used to carry Ms. Ethel’s stool for her to listen to Richardson, P. Goldson, G. Price and N. Pollard. I was convinced by Nicolas Pollard, who called the Belize Estate (British) C.D.C. “Companies De Cambrones.”

I accompanied the Jesuits who founded Landivar. I attended SJC by The Vogue, with “Skippy” Fuller teaching us English language and literature, and Dennis Gonguez teaching us Spanish.

In the years 1951, 1952, the Creole men in Belize City were well-behaved.

I also entered Belmopan’s House of Representatives in 1970 when in December 1969, I won the Toledo North election.

I thus was wearing two caps: one as mayor of Punta Gorda, and one as the area representative. At the ending of 1955 when I left SJC, the men were well-behaved. The Amandala in 1971-1972 used to compare Belize with the Spanish republics (especially Guatemala). Belize was a HAVEN compared to the republics!!

Today, Belize is just like the republics. You have shootings every day!! The young men wear slippers as if they are on the cayes, with no care for their personal appearance.

We have to change. We have to introduce a state-of-emergency with a curfew as the time allows.

BELIZE NEEDS LAW & ORDER!!!

Alejandro Vernon, JP