More questions than answers

THE EDITOR: Shall we ignore it and hope it will pass away? Shall we use it to get our way in a ruthless, amoral political ploy, a callous “take that in you ‘rookootoontoonkung’ directed at the whole nation? Is our parliament to be reduced to a convocation of squabbling antagonists, a brawling arena of “dem over dey versus dem on the next side?” Where does the business of the people stand in this melee? Are there demons in this democracy striving to keep the heat on the citizenry? Did not a certain CoP refer to himself as a “toothless bulldog?” Did we not hear, even as recent as Monday June 14, that there was agreement by both sides on this legislation? What’s going on? Who are affected when mafia style, cold blooded executions take place, and kidnappings, homicides and armed robberies rage in any constituency? Who babbles with undisguised glee, insisting that this did not happen under  their watch?

Who can explain, “lies, damned lies and statistics?” Do we shed tears only for our own close colleagues in their hour of grief and snarl frothily, pointing fingers of blame when commenting on the anguish of others? Are our legislators to be concerned exclusively with their particular constituencies or is their care extended to all the people of our little country? Are they failing to see the forest because of the trees? Is the “prosperity” of a party more important than the welfare of all the citizens in our nation? Can we be truly assured that our representatives remember their oaths to serve us fairly and fearlessly?  Is there more in the mortar than the UNC pestle?

Shall our representatives, in the interest of the people, debate the issues and resist the egotistic urges that pervert their public oratory? Shall they, in and out of the house, continue to prattle irrelevancies and seek to make the people pay for their time wasting? Is the UNC prepared to let us die of thirst, figuratively, because they cannot have ice for the water? Are the proposals of these bills acceptable only when put forward by a UNC government?  How can a group of allegedly responsible, caring people sulk like peevish, spoilt brats and obstinately ignore their duties to the people? So, are they all honourable men? Are there more questions than answers?     

GEORGE DAMIEN
Port-of-Spain