NO LAUGHING MATTER

In a country in which several families, not to mention the victims, have been traumatised by the kidnapping of scores of persons within recent years it is disgraceful that a calypso should be composed and sung, publicly, which urges members of the public to kidnap citizens for whatever the reason. Some of those kidhapped have even been murdered! In a country, which is committed to the principles of Justice and the Rule of Law it is cruelly absurd for a calypsonian, particularly one as experienced as Cro Cro to make a joke of a matter so serious. Cro Cro may be as incensed as many of us are at the corruption and crime of many politicians and drug dealers for example, but he cannot call for their kidnapping. Kidnapping is a very serious crime that has brought death, grief and financial ruin to many familes. Under no circumstances can we call for more of it. Not even as a joke. If Cro Cro has evidence of wrongdoing then why not go to the police or crimestoppers unit and provide the details. But he cannot and must not be allowed to urge citizens to commit acts of lawlessness. This cannot be tolerated.

Due process of law is still our law. Cro Cro’s ridiculous and highly offensive position must be condemned by all those who adhere to the principle of due process. The country’s Police Service already has a lot of work to do to contain and roll back the uncomfortable levels of major crimes, without Cro Cro, whose calypsoes are often controversial, inciting people to take the law into their own hands. The firm message must be sent to Cro Cro that encouraging lawlessness will not be tolerated, and we call on the Police to deal with what we hope is an aberration, although with the potential to be a very dangerous one at that.

All the wrong signals can be sent and received through Cro Cro’s highly inappropriate statement, particularly with respect to his demand that business people, who are viewed as corrupt, is it presumably because they have a lot of money, should be kidnapped. Should the top management of a foreign company, considering investing in Trinidad and Tobago, but whose top management is not familiar with this country and its long held belief in the Rule of Law, hear Cro Cro’s nonsensical song, they may have a rethink. Calypsonians have always been permitted a certain degree of latitude and we hope that this will continue to be so. But we cannot make fun of murder and kidnapping. What Cro Cro has done in this calypso is suggest that instead of “waving yuh rag” or “putting your hands in the air” we should now go out and kidnap anyone we consider lawless. Clearly Cro Cro has gone beyond the boundary.