Former United State President JFK rose to the platform in his inaugural ceremony to make one of his most famous speeches known these days as, "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." I'm conscious of the fact that this speech was made to the people of a nation whose economic power is incomparable to ours.

However, while we cannot compare our tiny, little economically malnourished country with the economic power of United Stated, I believe the rationale behind this statement equally practicable anywhere at any time depending on each circumstance.

I sympathies greatly with us because we are experiencing a financial situation not of our fault. And despite being the author of this article, I'm not against the idea of having our allowance increase. I just want to raise some points to enabling us to challenge the situation mentally and physically.

Our Government has been cornered and squeezed economically by the global economic recession and with all the domestic demands breathing down its neck, it is pretty apparent that things are not looking good.

My friends, if there is any time our country need us, this is the time -what can we do for our country? We take the biggest share of the financial pie already and yet we still ask for more.

Just imagine a little primary schoolboy in the middle bush of Guale or malaita - who sits under no shelter but an abalolo tree as his classroom, where the duration of his class period depends not on the click of time but by the mercy of the weather, where his lunch is not chicken and beef served in fancy eating utensil but a potato with dry coconut wrapped in a banana leaves, where his mode of note taking is not a laptop or PC but an exercise book sliced into two halves to cater for maths and English subjects. He look straight into his situation and boldly said - do you worst for I will do mine.

I believe with the same spirit we can handle our situation with the consciousness of how we help our country rather than squeezing it for its last pint of blood.

A simple mechanism in adjusting our expenses and living within our means would be really helpful to our country especially in this very financially critical time. If the crisis requires us to live FJD$0.01 per day, challenge it by living on FJD$0.005 per day and say -do your worst for I will do mine.

In other words, if we get use to go home with excessive shopping luggage, we need to rethink again this year. If you get use to enjoy the bright lights of Suva city, you need to rethink again this year. I'm not criticizing making a shopping spree or enjoying your social life here as long as it is within your means.

But does it worth asking for more just to buy fancy clothes (figurative speaking) or buy alcohol and get wasted -and call it "my entitlements so I used it on whatever I want"? This is something for all SIG sponsored students to think about.

Unfortunately, even our Big Men forget about this mentality by putting forward the spouse grant bill. I also totally disagree with the idea of decreasing the allowance because of the 25% devaluation while pushing to establish the spouse grant.

I urge all the citizen of our nation to boldly stand our ground, forgetting our individualistic interest and focusing on the Blue, Gold and Green with the stars as our compass together we challenge this Global economic crisis -do your worse, for we will do ours.

THE PATRIOT