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“[…] Please Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, do not let this opportunity go to waste. Accept without hesitation the proposal of Mrs [Kamla] Persad-Bissessar at the minimum.
“[…] We are at war with the perpetrators of violent crimes. This is no time for partisan bickering. Drastic measures are required to defeat this common enemy…”
The following letter, which supports UNC political leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s call for a lengthy jail sentence for persons convicted of home invasions, was submitted to Wired868 by Louis W Williams of St Augustine:
I wish to register my support for the proposal by the Leader of the Opposition, Mrs Kamla Persad-Bissesar, for a 25-year jail sentence for perpetrators convicted of home invasions.
In my view, although Mrs Persad-Bissessar did not state so, that sentence should be mandatory without the possibility of parole.
Prior to the announcement by Mrs Persad-Bissessar of her proposal, I had (in a letter to the editor first published on 17 April 2023) proposed a mandatory sentence of 20 years without the possibility of parole. I have no objection to the penalty being increased to 25 years.
As mentioned in my previous letter, I am of the view that much more severe penalties, much higher detection rates and, speedy trials/final determination of such matters would serve as an effective deterrent to such crimes. Also, as indicated in my earlier letter, only law enforcement officers should be allowed to legally possess firearms—anyone else convicted of possession of a firearm should receive a mandatory sentence of death.
Therefore, if the perpetrator was in possession of a firearm at time that he committed the offence, whether or not he shot or killed a victim, he should receive the death sentence.
Please Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, do not let this opportunity go to waste. Accept without hesitation the proposal of Mrs Persad-Bissessar at the minimum.
However, you may wish to request her support for even tougher legislation along the lines I have suggested, or otherwise.
I would like to suggest that you invite Mrs Persad-Bissessar and a small team to meet with you and your team to further discuss this matter and other legislative proposals for a much more robust criminal justice system.
Their political roles were reversed at the time.
(Copyright Power102fm)
I would like to suggest also that those discussions take place behind closed doors with no details being disclosed to the media prior to the conclusion of such discussions. Perhaps a suitable/competent mediator who is acceptable to both parties could be contracted to assist in this matter.
The parties must approach those deliberations with sincerity of purpose especially as, it is anticipated, the required new/amended legislation would have to be passed in Parliament with a Special Majority, which the Government does not possess.
In any event, the discussions on the legislative proposals regarding home invasions should be dealt with urgently. It could always be amended when the whole suite of criminal law legislation is finalised.
(Copyright UNCTT)
We are at war with the perpetrators of violent crimes. This is no time for partisan bickering. Drastic measures are required to defeat this common enemy.
Pacifism/appeasement does not work as the world discovered in World War II. Such an approach only emboldens the enemy.
We must never forget how Adolph Hitler responded to the entreaties of the pacifist movement in the West, and to Neville Chamberlain—prior to concerted action being undertaken by Winston Churchill and FDR Roosevelt.
Our political leaders must dig deep and display the maturity and wisdom that we expect of them. The very lives of law-abiding citizens are at stake. The most fundamental human right is the right to life.
May God Bless Our Nation.
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