The price of progress

Because we as Trinidadinas cherish our freedom and our carefree ways. Because we can’t see ourselves going to the beach and park near a metre that has a 60 minute time limit. We want to drink beers and still drive. Our kind of freedom comes with a price tag.

We can’t be like the United States simply because when we ignore our wife beating-neighbour in action the police never comes. Instead the ambulance or the District Medical Officer comes.

In the United States of America the minute your neighbour begins to shout or curse loudly at his wife the police comes. You play music too loud the police comes. Your car is stolen, in minutes there is a helicopter patrol and all police vehicles are on the alert. Therefore, Americans can afford to be selfish and go about their own business and ignore everything else.

A man is shot on the side-walk you leave him alone because the proper authorities will be there in the nick of time (you also don’t want to be sued). If your neighbour is being robbed you simply call the police.

In Trinidad life is very different. The last people you depend on are the police (but there are logical reasons for this that I can’t explain in this letter. Save to say that we the citizen contribute to this). Our people must realise that simply put that we are our brothers keepers. We have to look out and look after each other not only for our close friends and loved ones but for every single person we come in close proximity to. If an accident takes place who runs to your assistance?

If a bomb goes off who helps the victims first? It’s not your brother at home, your close friend at work or your doctor. We must come to terms with the fact that life is not about self- preservation but of giving selflessly. You protect someone from disaster, similarly someone will protect your loved one when you are not around.

I recently heard this true story on the radio and it almost brought me to tears. It was about a little girl about to die in a village in Vietnam and the English doctor asked the people for help, for a few pints of blood to save the little girl.

A little boy came forward and whilst the blood was being taken the boy sobbed endlessly. The same time a Vietnamese doctor came and asked him why he was crying? He answered he thought by giving blood he was going to die.

The doctor quickly allayed his fears and she then asked if you believed you were going to die why did you volunteer? He answered because she was my friend.

We Trinidadians need to keep stories like these in mind. We must go back to simple existence in order to win this war.

Forget the oil dollars, the quick profits, stop blaming the politicians, the technocrats, the police, the legal system. Look within yourself and ask yourself what can I do to save my country? When we begin to act individually the war will be won.

YASEEN AHMED

Woodbrook