All the blimps in the world can’t help us

THE EDITOR: One of the reasons given for the leasing of second “blimp” Skyship 600 is that blimps had been successfully used at the Athens Olympic Games. Well, for the benefit of those who may not be aware, blimps are used regularly by TV and radio broadcasting companies in the US to cover most major sporting events and report live to their viewers. I remember attending a football match in Ohio about 20 or more years ago between Ohio State University and Oklahoma State University when the “Goodyear” blimp hovered overhead for the duration of the match, reporting the event to viewers at home and certainly not for any security reasons.

It should be obvious to all concerned that local criminals who are planning their next murder, kidnapping or major robbery are not going to do so in the middle of the Grand Savannah with the aid of a powerful public address system so that the “blimp” can pick up all that they are saying clearly and be ready for them. Such plans are carefully made in some secluded spot after thorough investigation of all the conditions and the risk involved. All the blimps in the world assembled over TT at the same time will not even make a dent in the local crime situation which is completely out of control, inspite of all the various initiatives that have been instituted by the government agencies over the past years from Anaconda to Scorpion.

Intelligence information worldwide is gained mainly through infiltration gained by secret agents and voluntary informers usually at a price and of course, by wire tapping and other tricks of the trade. There are several reasons why these methods are not practical in TT. First of all, in such a closely knit society, no individual will be prepared to squeal on a relative or friend. Secondly, with the consequences of squealing on someone and the distinct possibility of becoming the next murder victim, no one is prepared to take that chance. Thirdly, since the police are incapable of offering any degree of safety to an informer, no one will be stupid enough to inform far less to appear as a prosecution witness in any court of law.

Trinidad and Tobago has become a lawless and reckless society that has lost all sense of direction, devoid of any form of moral or spiritual values and with no regard for the life or property of their fellowman and obsessed with the acquisition of material things at whatever the ultimate cost. The blame for our present unacceptable state of affairs must be placed squarely on the shoulders of those self-proclaimed experts who are in reality a band of confounded idiots of the highest order and who over the years have advocated the removal of every form of discipline possible from the cradle to the grave, in our schools, homes and even corrective institutions and in so doing, have propagated the belief that individuals are free to do as they please and whenever they please without any regard for the ultimate consequences and the price that most certainly will be exacted. 

Even the morning prayer to the Creator that preceded and ended classes for the day in our nation’s schools has been banned and little attention or homage is paid to our Creator to whom we owe our very existence on earth. In the United States of America there is a motion at the present time to change the name Christmas to Holiday and to remove Christmas day entirely from the calendar. Strangely enough it is these same heathens who fall to their knees and rush into the nearest churches in the time of both man-made and natural disasters.

MARTIN KAVANAGH
La Romaine