Crimes we take for granted

The Editor: Suddenly everybody in Trinidad and Tobago is a crime expert.  They all know what the government shouldn’t be doing or shouldn’t be buying.  Ask these people to come up with a comprehensive plan to fight this scourge that is upon our beloved country and not one man jack has a solution, not even a plausible suggestion.  This crime thing is fast becoming an epidemic, not just here but worldwide.  Take a look at the international news…this thing is everywhere and it is frightening.  But let us get back to our own country and in our own homes.  Here are common infringements:

•When your eight-year-old child comes home from school with another child’s ruler or eraser and you allow that child to keep it. 
•When your teenage son, who works nowhere, has several pairs of sneakers in his closet where one side alone costs $700 and although it was not bought by you, you let it slide.
•When you’re driving on the Priority Bus Route, illegally, with your children in the car and you have them looking out for the police.
•When, without a care or with total disregard for other drivers, you casually break the traffic light.
•When, as someone in a position of authority, you are ready and willing to accept “gifts” for performing your job.
•When a man could drive the wrong way on a one way street and when he is told, he aggressively replies, together with choice obscenities and hand gestures, that “This is Trinidad!”
•When your unemployed child is driving a new “PBY” and bringing home other expensive gifts and you don’t ask a question but instead gleefully receive and are looking forward to more.
•When our radio talk show hosts continually promote and encourage negative comments on their programmes.
•When the last government was on their doing “whatever the france they want” frenzy and “teefing wind” and your reply to that was “Yeah but dey doin’ some t’ing.”  Or as one “highly educated” gentleman said to me “What corruption?  They just skimming off the excess.” Mind you, I am not at all saying that this government does not need to do something and do it fast but I am saying that daily we contribute in some way to the crime, in our own actions and words and we do not even realise it. 

Mr Cadiz had a great idea which unfortunately was turned into a political fiasco by others for their own selfish reasons. There is a song called City Tabanca and it is sung by Natalie Yorke.  It is such a fitting song for all of us to hear right now but unfortunately I only heard it played once on 95.5FM and never heard it again. I imagine that it carries a positive message that we can all benefit from, so why play it since it seems that some in the media are bent on bringing down our society and not lifting it up. Again it is for their own selfish reasons, their own distorted motives to keep our society focused on the negative. It is time for us as a people to band together, we are in the majority.  Let us stop the continued criticism and let us, together with the authorities find a way to get rid of the few that are wrecking havoc in our country. 

These youngsters don’t have the means to buy the arms and ammunition.  It is time for the hierarchy to crack down, not on the man on the street but on those people in the echelons of society, who I’m sure they suspect or may even know, are the real perpetrators.  But alas how could you arrest your neighbour or your cousin? Today you liming with them and tomorrow you sending police for them. I guess it is being between a rock and a hard place.  But it is about time for one of you to have the guts and say “Enough is enough!” and go after the ones who are really responsible, without fear or favour.  

Shelley Johnson
Port-of-Spain later