Bigotry on the radio

He lamented that many of them had been festering in jail unjustly simply because they could either not afford the bail allotted to them or because they could not afford legal counsel.

No one would disagree that prolonged imprisonment for such reasons is manifestly unjust.

It exposed an insidious type of inequity that weighed heavily against the poor and vulnerable.

When I reflect on the archbishop’s deliberate silence today, on the prospect that 53 prisoners may have to suffer the anguish of having their cases restarted de novo, I wonder privately how this affront to justice has not reignited the archbishop’s fervour. Some of these unfortunate souls have waited as long as eight years for their matter to be heard in court.

Just as their issues began to wax warm, the Judiciary has seen it fit to douse the rekindling of their hope with cold water.

As far as I am aware, Archbishop Harris has neither offered comment nor suggested a solution to this act of apparent judicial incompetence. That said, I preemptively offer my apologies to the prelate if I am in error.

One cannot fault a man for his silence since his thoughts remain his. On the other hand, a radio host has used his platform to suggest that the sentiment that Chief Justice Ivor Archie should demit office took root in racism.

The leader of the Anglican Church has also privately opined that citizens must not be too eager for the authors of this injustice against those in captivity to be fired, since those in error were people of “impeccable character.” The radio host suggested that the people who continue to demand Archie’s immediate resignation allegedly harbour hidden “racial” motives.

Of course if one were to isolate the Chief Justice and treat the relevant issues as though they pertained to him alone, then he stands out as Trinidadian with African roots.

If one looks at the entire picture, however, then one would discern that the same call is being directed at all the members of the present JLSC. Before the advent of E Koylass, that body comprised two men with Caucasian lineage and a woman who appears to be of mixed descent.

So I would like to ask the radio host to define the type of “racism” that he is seeing. Is it anti-African, anti-mixed race or anti-Caucasian? Why “isolate” Archie from the rest? He is the head of an inept organisation.

Further to this, I heard the radio host suggest that “they want an Indian Chief Justice.” I do not know who “they” might be. He also lamented the fact that even Afro-Trinidadians in the Law Association called for Archie’s resignation.

I would have thought that level- headed men judged the actions of their fellow men by considerations that extended beyond simply the way they look. It is a tragedy that this level of ignorant bigotry exists in present-day Trinidad.

STEVE SMITH via email