 Posted 4/22/2009 9:53:00 AM
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| Each time I read the Trinidad Express online, you can always expect to read of the murders that took place the day before. Today's express I read of five murders that had taken place yesterday. The crime situation just continues to get worse in this country. What is Manning doing about it? Asolutely nothing. Even for the most basic violations. I mean how hard is it to even crack down on those who violate the rules of the road? The government can spend millions on the summit but they can't spend millions on computerizing their systems. Mke it easier for police officers to write tickets. The same cameras installed for the summit can be used to catch drivers breaking red lights, drivers speeding and drivers driving down streets that clearly say no entry. Why must I live my life in fear. Imagine its dangerous to walk the streets after 6 PM. You have to be careful how you answer people or look at people because you do not know who has a gun. If you go to a party be careful of what valuables you pull out because you do not knowwho is watching you and who will try to hold you up later and as usual when you need the police they are never around. For me the extend of the crime is all related to politics. All these old people in government who are only there to milk the country's resources and squabble among themselves like children. Still, PNM knows how to keep some people happy: Cepep and URP are all it takes for some people to keep voting PNM. Be careful if you open your mouth about the corruption in these two organizations because you will definitely be signing your own death warrant. Still,what is to be done about all the crime? Forget rehabilitation that does not work. What are the cops and threatened citizens to do? I say shoot first then ask questions later, of course dead men don't talk....
SO
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Posted 4/22/2009 11:42:39 AM
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| Crime is a global issue, not just in Trinidad. However after researching the crime rates in Trini it has surged over the last couple years. Why? you ask, it could be based on gun control, based on poverty, based on greed or power. But whatever the reason is, I can assure you that the government will not step in to save lives nor will the urgency or desperate need for survival will never be compared to the "importance" of the Summit. Having the Summit and dumping millions in this weekend rather than in the communities shows you that the governments main concern is not us the citizens. They had police reinforcements from every major countries within the caribbean to protect visitors but they cannot see the need to protect their own. This behavior is not foreign to many other nations, so is this just where we are as human beings, that power and praise takes precedence over life?
Blessup
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Posted 4/22/2009 3:33:18 PM
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Power and praise has always took precedence over life- remember the concept police was created to protect property and the wealthy. But to another note- the argument posed by "what next" almost seem to hold the political party responsible for the level of crime present in the trini system and I am not sure that is entirely true. I see the political system as facilitating the crime spree. I see the social system and structure as being he basis for most of crime taking place. I see the deterioration of social responsibilities as allow this crime to increase unchecked. I am no criminologist but if look at patterns of crime you will notice that an increase in crime is synonymous with a reduction in quality of life- As you so rightly pointed out. Misdemeanor like blatant traffic violation, pan handling, petty theft- non violent crimes must be nipped in the bud.
Whats appalling is that we in the Caribbean have fallen (or risen) to this level- this level of crime and dependency. Everyone is now void of responsibility for self, neighbor and community. Our dependency on the government has left us weak and vulnerable and now we pay the price. Our lost of community (in the truest sense of the word) has allowed other entities to shape the minds of member - forging criminals instead of leaders, man who does mek picknee rather than fathers.
What happens in TNT and the rest of the region is dependent on us.
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Posted 4/22/2009 4:09:25 PM
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| I don't think its just power and praise taking precedence over life. It's plain old fashion greed. Each man for himself and these politicians are the best example. Most of them don't go into politics to make a difference, they go for their own self gain. I do blame the political system to a large extent because the political machine is not working. The political system is supposed to help deal with social and economic problems, this is not happening. Politicians are an extension of us, they are supposed to represent us, this is not happening.
SO
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Posted 4/23/2009 10:10:59 AM
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I am not disagreeing with you that government is a thing of the past- yes all government duties/responsibilities have been transformed to favor done by the political party in power. But since when did governance void individual of responsibility - is it since slavery? Societies existed without laws and police for years, and still do.
And Trinidad is not an isolated case- its evident the world over.
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Posted 4/24/2009 10:22:49 PM
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| The preceding discussion is an interesting one and quite thought provoking. I agree with the view that crime is indeed a global issue but what is significant to this discussion is the drastic increase in the crime rate in the Caribbean within recent times. Less than a decade ago the murder rate in some Caribbean countries was almost negligible, today the statistics as they specifically relate to Jamaica and Trinidad and to a lesser extent some of the Eastern Caribbean countries is alarming. The causes of crime in the Caribbean are mutli-faceted linked to the inceasing pauperization of the masses, the far-reaching tentacles of the sophisticated drug trade, and as was mentioned in some instances the inability of some of our politicans, whether deliberate or not to address the causes of crime and violence. We cannot of course ignore the declining influence of family, community and though controversial the church which in the past had contributed to producing individuals who had a sense of social responsibility and individuals who placed a huge value on life. The importance of the "village" in raising a child still rings true today - we have only to look at the deliquency on our doorstep to confirm that fact. I strongly believe that our mass absorption of some of the negative American values which gyrate on materialism continue to socialise us away from our true Caribbean selves. Solving crime will most certainly require an individual and collective response but are we willing to attack corruption at its roots? What about the drug trade - are we willingly to say to the marijuana farmer, "come down from the hills we will provide employment for you,so that your children will go to sleep well fed." What about the cocaine dealer, so consumed by acquiring more that compassion is no longer his friend- shouldnt the vagrants on the streets and the lunatics in the assylum be enough to convince him to quit the trade? Are we willing to provide our impoverished youths with opportunities and sustained programmes that will we guarantee them life skills? Do we have the economic resources at a time when the economic recession knocks on the doors of the Caribbean to really tackle crime and violence? Just some food for thought
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Posted 4/28/2009 9:52:41 AM
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| So where do we start? How do we invoke change for better?
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Posted 4/28/2009 10:27:27 AM
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Yes indeed we have the resources to tackle crime and violence. We always had the resources it’s just a matter of how we choose to use them. I posted about the summit in Trinidad before, and again I have to address that issue. The government spent millions just to host a three day summit but they can’t spend some of that same money on real measures that can alleviate crime in the country. Even when they spend the money on measures to reduce crime, I wonder if that was even their real intention. For instance the money spent on the Blimp. Does not Blimp really accomplish anything? How about spending that money on a computerized system instead. There is a high rate of car thefts in Trinidad. How about making it possible for police officers to scan license plates so that they can instantly tell if a car is unregistered or stolen. I think Manning is afraid to introduce any real measures to alleviate crime because it’s these same criminals that keep him in power.
I agree that we are influenced by the American value system. I blame cable. However at the same time why are we only able to take the negative from America? I always say America is just as corrupt as Trinidad. The difference is when you are caught in America you are dealt with seriously; you cannot escape the laws of the land. In Trinidad you may be charged you may actually go to court but the end result is…nothing happens.
At the end of the day I think for any real change to occur we have to get rid of the current players, from the politicians to the criminals
SO
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Posted 5/1/2009 8:50:26 AM
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| WhatNext, I hear your passion but do you really believe that for any real change to occur that we must get rid of the current politicians and criminals? Do you really believe that the politicians hold the key to solving crime and violence? While I believe that the politicians play an instrumental role in the formulation of policy and programmes that can reduce crime, they are not the fundamental players in sovling crime and violence. The society is and that society is constituted of you and I. Even if we get rid of the current criminals, have we tackled the sources of crime and violence, one of which has to do with how we socialise and educate our young. Those processes are not the sole responsibility of our politicians but for all of us. However, very often we do not hold ourselves responsible until someone close to us is affected. We, collectively and individually are in the process of creating potential criminals every, single day by the way we impart values and even in the way we live our lives. Our significant departure away from our collective responsibility in raising our children must once again become part of the Caribbean landscape. This is certainly a beginning but I'd be unrealistic to assume that a reorientation process along this path would be easy or that it would be embraced. I cannot agree with you that by replacing Manning and his government that this will solve the problem.(Trinidad, may of course be ready for change.) Jamaica has a relatively new governement, so too Grenada ,has the change in government brought a drastic modification in the crime situation? I was fortunate to have lived in Trinidad for five years. The country was then governed by Panday and crime and violence was also an issue, not to mention the corruption. We from the "Small Islands", so called by our collegues were in a constant state of shock at the large guns carried everyday and everywhere by law enforcement and other officials. Further, do you think that Panday was responsible for the market vendors constant hikes in prices as soon as they heard our accents only to reduce them again for Trinidadians? Why was this an accepted norm?
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