Definitely not change but exchange

It is shocking to hear a Minister describe the violent shooting death of 19-year-old Anil Diram as “collateral damage”.

I remember in 2003 when then Prime Minister Patrick Manning described the “drive-by” shooting of Jilla Bowen at Movie Towne as “collateral damage” he was dragged over the coals for the statement, especially by the then UNC Opposition. In the subsequent years when she became Leader of the Opposition, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar routinely took Mr Manning to task, calling him insensitive for describing innocent victims of crime as “collateral damage” and accusing him of down-playing the seriousness of threat to public safety and the fear felt by ordinary, law-abiding citizens.

Today, one of her senior ministers has done the same as Mr Manning did in 2003. Will there be consequences for this minister? Highly unlikely. Double standards are the order of the day because this Government long forgot from whence they came.

Terms such as “collateral damage” should never be used to describe victims of crime whether they were targeted or innocently caught in crossfire.

Every human life deserves respect and to be treated with value. And it suits no one to downplay the seriousness of the crime problem in this country. The fact is that citizens live with the fear that hardly anywhere is safe from the reach of crime and the Government must not shun its duty in favour of public relations.

If you do not treat the problem as a serious one you will not find a serious solution, therefore the Government must get serious.

Alderman Sunil Ramjitsingh

Chase Village