August 9th, 1987
             Ever since Nicolae Ceaucescu became the 'honoured' leader of Romania in 1974, our lives have been a living nightmare. His incredibly mad schemes to 'improve' our beautiful country have ruined everything – not only beautiful houses but driven away the wildlife and ruined the atmosphere, the environment and even our economy. There is very little food due to his crazy scheme of having a debt-free country; he sold all our crops overseas and then spent the money on himself. There are often power cuts, and the gas supply is always irregular. Many people have died because they go to sleep with their radiators on, the gas goes out, and then returns. They fill the house with gas. If the occupants are not asphyxiated they are blown up. Children are dying of AIDS. Ceaucescu is a madman; he is losing touch with reality. No, he is not losing touch; he lost touch years ago. I hope and pray daily that somehow we will be delivered from his clutches, but I cannot see that happening.
            
             August 15th, 1987
             I am fed up with living here in Copcamica. My once pretty house is black. My garden is black. The street is black. The people, the clothes, the sky, even myself, are all black. And why? Because of Ceaucescu's lack of care for my town and its inhabitants. He makes the nearby factory pump out smoke all day long with no regard for the citizens, or the environment. The factory produces black dust to colour tyres. Our town is covered in a blanket of dust. This dust contains zinc, lead, cadmium and sulphur dioxide. Everyone is getting sick, but of course no one would dare suggest that the factory and its emissions are to blame. Men and women who work in the factory are especially prone to these terrible lung complaints as a result of the chemicals from the factory. All of Ceaucescu's ideas are perfect! The hospitals are full to bursting. There are not enough medical supplies for all the sick, or enough n...