THE EDITOR: Chaguanas West MP Dinesh Rambally was most impressive in the Morning Edition interview on July 18. Should he be a new deputy leader of the UNC?
Crime in all its manifestations has Trinidad and Tobago in a choke hold. Rambally has seen the efficacy of putting country first.
It is indeed time for stamping down on politicising crime. Crime is not just the political elephant in the room for the general election, 2025. It is one that has become bejewelled and covered in colourful, expensive blankets. Breathlessly large and frighteningly on show.
Crime cannot continue to rule our days, nights and weekends because the main losers will definitely be our children.
I have been taking note of the cry of farmers to be allowed easy access to guns. The wealthy who can afford to buy guns also lay claim to being able to feel more safe with a gun in the house.
Is this really the answer to safety from the criminal element?
If a farmer sees anything or anybody looking suspicious, is it a case of just shoot to kill?
TT is reputed to have some 200 gangs. One could estimate that we allegedly have a minimum/maximum of 2,000 men/women hell bent on destroying the country.
But if 500,000 of our 1.4 million citizens have legal guns in their homes, murder and mayhem will escalate into complete horror. Obliterate all the bandits, then just shoot for the fun of it? Why waste those millions of expensive bullets doing nothing?
What about domestic-violence perpetrators who abound in all strata of society? Many women are murdered yearly due to violent relations.
What about the news that here in TT we have many with mental health problems and many young people prone to suicide?
Do we truly believe just because you are the legal owner of a gun, taught how to use it and, if confronted you will automatically win over the predator? Plus of course, the majority of the wealthy live very safely in heavily-guarded communities in north, south and central Trinidad. Can they be counted from one to 50? Let's get very real, please. How many home invasions were reported in Alyce Glen and Westmoorings?
How many blood baths per day should or can be expected in a nation overloaded with guns?
As Rambally opined, it is crucial that all MPs put partisan politics aside and urgently get involved in planning effective crime-prevention initiatives.
Are we fooling ourselves that a gun in hand is like swearing to your Almighty on your personal religious book? Kill or be killed, amen? Will MP Rambally's good sense prevail?
LYNETTE JOSEPH
Diego Martin
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