‘A good newspaper is a nation talking to itself'

Value of work

Janet Rae Saunders Pinson, Public Affairs Specialist in the Pacific Area, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,

Auckland

I read with interest Nemani Delaibatiki's My Say column in the Fiji Sun on the value of work.

I was raised in a farm in the United States where I was expected from an early age to help my father maintain and gather crops. My mother's favourite mantra was: “Hoe to the end of the row” or “If there is anything worth doing, it is worth doing well.”

Not only did we work in the fields but also had a list of chores provided by my mom to help keep our home clean and tidy. I have been amazed as I grew up that not everyone understood those great principles. How grateful I am to parents, church and community who taught me the value of a full day's work.

Silly to strike Miriama Sau,

New Zealand

Fijian civil servants will be silly and naive to go on strike.

Out with the old Parmesh Prasad, Suva

Can the old civil servants who are opposed to contracts be replaced with young graduates who would be happy to serve the public rather than acting like entitled brats?

Pinktober Neelz Singh,

Lami

Yes, it's Pinktober – Breast Cancer Awareness Month – so in the spirit of awareness-raising, I'd like to make you all a little more aware of what the awareness campaigns are actually making you aware of.

Breast cancer was a disease spoken about behind closed doors, not something one would acknowledge in public. Women had little support, and there was little understanding or acknowledgement of the emotional ramifications of suffering from the disease, or the emotional trauma of losing one or both breasts. Many women suffered in silence with a deadly disease they considered shameful.

Men and women today feel more empowered to take control of their health, and not ashamed to seek help. And, to this day, are organisations dedicated to breast cancer awareness give women with breast cancer (and their loved ones) a feeling of community and support.

These are all undeniably excellent developments that have greatly benefited women with breast cancer.

But for now, let's put the pinkwashing aside, and focus on the goals of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Give generously with a cheerful heart to support this worthy cause.

Drugs, alcohol & cigarrettes Taitusi Sokiveta, Phoenix, Arizona

Drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, and all forms of addictions will continue until we have a powerful power in an organisation that will stop all these forms of addictions. The organisation was created by God himself. Just like he used Moses to cross the Red Sea. In 1935 God used Dr Bob and Bill Wilson, two chronic alcoholics in a hopeless state of mind and body brought them back to sanity just like he did Paul in Damascus. And through the inspiration of God himself, he started an alcoholic anonymous that branched into narcotic anonymous, cocaine anonymous, heroin anonymous, meth anonymous, crack anonymous, sex addict anonymous, gambling anonymous and cigarette anonymous.

This is not a religious programme. It's a spiritual programme that helps people who are totally in a hopeless or helpless state. These programmes have saved millions worldwide and healed the suffering. If you desperately need help contact them. They are in the phone books, on the internet, they are in every country, even in Russia. Seek them if you are desperate. Remember, God loves all of us. He is not going to abandon you, the less fortunate.

Sex workers' plight Savenaca Vakaliwaliwa,

Suva

It is heart-breaking to read the testimonies of sex workers and getting to know the background of what drove them into selling their bodies to make a living. The story on transsexual Hailey Morganna (*not his real name) should be read and understood by all Fijians, in the hope that it would enlighten the minds of those who have a negative mindset against gays, lesbians, transgender and prostitutes. These sex workers have a story of their own and are still human beings – having families, relatives, brothers and sisters. I understand that our laws are against sex workers and the sex trade and I have cut and paste below the words of Hailey Morganna, for the powers that be to take note and do the right thing.

"This is not an ideal job, but it is what puts the food on the table and pays the rent for me for now.

But if we can get help from private and government organisations, at least in terms of opportunities for work and studies, it will help some of us a lot because we want real jobs too.

"Most of us cannot get jobs in some places because of our feminine sexuality, but that is a big ask right now.

"As much as we want acceptance and to be treated equally, we know mind-sets cannot be changed overnight so we hope a day will come that that will happen."

If we want sex workers to disappear from our streets, then provide them with jobs so they can continue to put food on the table and survive.