Dear Editor,
I am a firm believer that the truth will always come out. It might take some time, but eventually it appears somewhere along the line.
To be told that I did not tell the truth does not sit well with me because with all my faults (yes, I have a few) I will not intentionally give out false information. I refer to the story of the introduction by the Dutch of the Mammoetwet in 1968, where the MULO system was changed. Why would the Dutch change their education system just because students from the Antilles had a better passing rate?
That made me wonder. It is, however, correct that Russell never implied that the Dutch could not cope with the MULO system, and I apologise for making that assumption.
Reading Russell Simmons’s letter on March 10th, I decided that due to my lack of knowledge on the subject to check out the Internet, and after reading various articles on the subject I had to respond with facts. It is true that like the news, you cannot always believe what is written on the Internet and unlike Russell, I was not part of that schooling system at the time. I tend to accept information that is provided online because you would think otherwise somebody would have complained about it.
As for delivering newspapers as a child (not selling them), the point I was trying to make, and which obviously did not come across is the fact that if you want to improve your living standards, you need to get off your backside and work for it.
I wanted my Dad to pay for the item I wanted, but he quite correctly told me to help myself by working for it. You feel empowered by the fact that you achieved this by yourself.
It might be just a small thing, but it changed my mindset in a lot of ways.
Rene Lammerse
