By Cecil Paul
September 04, 2011
“We must recognize that it is people looking like me, who are being murdered, mothers like my mother…weeping more than any other race”…”When we see the accused being led away, being led to court, it is people who look like me”…”When one looked at the prison population in 2011, 51% are Afro Trinidadians”. (Minister of National Security John Sandy)
Continue reading Of Vulgar Politicians and Ethnic Bashing
By Raffique Shah
September 04, 2011
NOT surprisingly, the Government has extended the State of Emergency (SoE), citing its “successes” thus far, and all but promising citizens a crime-free country by the time it is lifted. Although no one in Government made this commitment literally, daily, ministers and top officers of the national security agencies dazzle us with statistics that look impressive.
Continue reading Fallouts from the Emergency
By Dr. Kwame Nantambu
September 02, 2011
It is ridiculous for some public officials to opine/conclude that “the only reason (Trinbagonians) were charged under the Anti-Gang legislation was because they are black.”
Such public insanity was further compounded when the leadership of the Emancipation Support Committee (ESC) also publicly contended that the People’s Partnership (PP) government’s anti-crime policy was “treading on slippery slopes” in regard to the targeting of African communities in T&T.
Continue reading Keep race out of criminal behaviour
By Christian Hume
September 01, 2011
It was most disconcerting to witness Minister of National Security John Sandy and Attorney General Anand Ramlogan trying to convince the nation that the gang leaders from East Port-of-Spain and the East-West Corridor are the “big fish” that the entire nation are waiting to see rounded up and tossed into jail. When the country’s top politicians decide to play blind, pretending not to see the reality that honest eyes among the population see all the time, then we know that times are stark and dark.
Continue reading Matters of Race in the State of Emergency
By Tony Fraser
August 31, 2011 – guardian.co.tt
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and her Government took probably their most important and perhaps courageous decision of their 15 months in office with the declaration of the state of emergency. It is a decision full of potential for a major reduction in the criminal menace that has terrorised us all for over 15 years. Understandably, it is much too early to say definitively that the effects of the SoE would break the back of the criminal infrastructure (and that is what is going to ultimately matter) but the Government has shown itself prepared to allow the security forces to deal decisively with criminals. Lee Falk, the creator of the Phantom comic series, used to insert in sotto voce that “Phantom is rough with rough necks.” That seems to fit the need of the present; with the important caveat that it is done within the ambit of the law.
Continue reading SoE an important and courageous decision