Why society must take the blame

THE EDITOR: I am and have been an Attorney-at-law for the past 11 years, married with no children. On Friday July 4, 2003 my secretary and her boyfriend were accosted in broad daylight by a bandit dressed in perfect police uniform complete with boots, a gun and handcuffs. On managing to escape, they sought help at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital. Her boyfriend was sent to Ward 54 for stitching (as he was severely beaten) and waited for two hours before discharging himself. He was told that the Doctor had more serious cases to attend to. Two weeks a vehicle belonging to a close relative of mine was broken into. At the police station the finger print expert had to be begged before the rear view mirror was tested. Lo and behold there were several smudges but nothing definite to extract. Despite the glass being broken and the rain falling we were instructed to place the vehicle back onto the street. The report taking was another exercise in futility. The police officer managed to daydream, answer the telephone, have a full conversation with another officer all at the same time whilst taking the report.

These were the two most direct brushes with the criminal element I have experienced over the past few weeks. I lay blame at the bands of the citizenry first and foremost. Trinidad is not a country of unity. It has taken on the trappings and the lifestyles of the big countries. No longer do we say hello to our neighbours or stop to help people in need. The neighbour in the car theft incident actually admitted to hearing the breaking of the car glass (in the wee hours of the morning) but never said anything. In Barbados where I lived for two years I was in awe of how the communities were united and friendly. I once saw a young man on a bus give up his seat without saying a word to allow a student to sit with her books. At village gatherings everyone spoke to everyone else, there was the genuine feeling of happiness. These things only take place here where you pay $350 to enter. And still there is segregation. Everyone is envious of everyone else. Everyone wants to hear how successful you are or what car you are driving now. We want to live like Americans, we think we love the American lifestyle but do we really? Do we want our children walking out of our homes at tender ages and ending up on the streets or in pornographic movies? Do we want our children having children? Can we live with the possibility of being sued for every little mistake we make in our work life? A friend of mine was charged in New York recently for video taping something from his car.

The American system was designed for America. Similarly, the Trinidadian lifestyle was designed for Trinidad. It’s what Cheddie Jagan once described as ‘living Cadillac lifestyles in banana economies.’ Trinidadians do not die in America. They return to their homeland to retire and die. Society has to take the brunt of the blame not the police, not the politicians. Society is the one that calls his police ‘pardner’ and asks for a favour (when his son is about to be charged). Society causes the police to become uninterested when phony emergency calls are made causing waste of precious time and resources. The Society is to be blamed when you see a ‘hand bag snatcher’ running up the road on a busy Port-of-Spain street and everyone carries on their business as usual. Society is to be blamed when you see something suspicious going on next door but you do not call the police because you are afraid to get involved. You see the hot items selling on the streets but you are glad to get the ‘Nike’ shoes for $25.

Kidnappings it appears are something to be ignored until a politician’s son or daughter gets held up. This is a crime that only affects the middle and upper middle class. Not the upper class I say, because some people do not see the sense in living on a lot of land costing one million dollars. It appears you can only drive a nice car now if you live in gated communities and go from home to work to the malls and back home. What makes it worse is that the police seem to be involved, so how is the crime of kidnapping ever to be solved. It is the most successful business opportunity to hit Trinidad and Tobago. Can you imagine a ransom of two million dollars being called for in a matter of days? Can you further imagine that it will be paid? What is really going on in this country?

Persons are afraid to speak out because the first thing people will say is that they want publicity or you are afraid of being sued for libel or slander (and will have to pay $600,000) or afraid of downright victimisation. The Doctor at the private hospital on Friday night said the lawyers are to be blamed. I totally agree. Lawyers make a good bail application because they: 1) want to make a good impression; 2) want to make sure their fee is paid; 3) and want to try to get the cheapest possible way out for the client. Do they stop to think for the moment the type of person they are putting back on the street? What about concurrent sentencing? Why can’t the authorities see that 30 convictions with each sentence to run for one year concurrently is in fact only a one year sentence. This makes absolutely no sense. What are the legislators doing about this? They are probably too busy protecting their investments in this business or that. I will certainly predict (however I am no psychic) that there is going to be a mass exodus of successful hardworking people in this country very soon. I refuse to do what politicians or the police or hospital makers (or whoever else) should be doing.

YASEEN AHMED
Port-of-Spain