Dear Editor: Victims of our own conceit; man must live, so only justice can counter crime


“Corrupt politicians and unscrupulous business owners are responsible for the runaway crime rate in our country.

“[…] Crime existed ages before there were government contracts and crime is the hallmark of an unregulated society, one that is full of oppression. History would show that all such societies implode over time.”

The following column was submitted by Michael ‘Bro Scobie’ Joseph and first published on the National Workers Union website:

Photo: Former Honourable Ministers Anil Roberts (left) and Jack Warner were members of Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s People’s Partnership government.
(Copyright Trinidad Guardian)

Trinbagonians have become so conceited and deceptive that they are now victims of their own conceit and are wondering why the country is in such a despicable state, where no one is safe with the runaway crime rate while politicians continue making a mockery of our democracy.


Some days ago, Raymond Choo Kong was added to the crime statistics and there was an expression of shock and outrage by many. Let me extend my condolences to his relatives and friends and state that his untimely and tragic death is very unfortunate in light of his sterling contribution to theatre arts in Trinbago.

Raymond was a victim of a depraved condition that we as citizens have been condoning by turning a blind eye for decades. So, let us not sound so alarmed now. The alarm bells would have rang out over three decades ago, when that young Muslim brother Abdul Kareem was stabbed to death while in the custody of two police officers in St James in July 1985.

The bells were not heard when WPC Bernadette James lost her life while on duty, sitting on a bus in Chaguaramas during a police exercise in October of 1987. Still, no alarm bells sounded when Dana Seetahal was gunned down in the heart of town, nor for the thousands of other victims of violent crimes in this country over the years.

We as a nation could stand up and say enough is enough and take back our country from the hands of criminals. But our deceptiveness is so deeply rooted, that we are more concerned with the negative effects it would have on our favourite colours of ‘Red’ and ‘Yellow’, in the midst of losing our most precious gift that cannot be replaced.

Photo: Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley (right) poses for a snap with defeated Siparia candidate and Lake Asphalt board member Vidya Deokiesingh who was implicated by a Petrotrin Audit Report into the A&V Drilling company.

This reminds me of the time when they came for the Communists, and no voices were raised in defence. Then they came for the Trade unionists; then they came for the… etc, etc.

Institutional violence is affecting this country to such an extent that it is creating reactive violence across our land—but we’re all playing dumb because of party loyalty. We cyah make we party look bad, so we tolerate shit till it spattering; and now everyone have to run for cover.

Corrupt politicians and unscrupulous business owners are responsible for the runaway crime rate in our country. Yet we have a clueless public relations Commissioner of Police who came into office bad mouthing those before him, like James Philbert and Stephen Williams, claiming that he has the answers and the solutions to all the criminal activities in TnT.

Kill out all the cockroaches: problem solved—yet crime has kept on rising under his watch.

Now he is trying to distract us with allegations that all the violent crime is committed by small hustlers in the communities who are benefiting from government contracts. So he is advocating that contracts should not be given to the small man in the communities and that will solve crime.

We feeding people to fight the police, the man is saying. What madness?

Photo: Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith (left) and Minister of National Security Stuart Young.
(Copyright TTPS)

Crime existed ages before there were government contracts and crime is the hallmark of an unregulated society, one that is full of oppression. History would show that all such societies implode over time. I have said it before and will say it again: crime and criminality will continue until there is a fairer share of the national patrimony.

Robbing the treasury will continue to deprive poor people of their just due, and they will react accordingly, because survival business is a serious business. Oppress man: man must live!

But remember, streams run into rivers, and rivers to seas. Now we are facing the Tsunami. Pulling out our hair and throwing our hands in the air will not help.

We or what’s left of us must wake up to save the day, or continue to perish in our Swine-dom.

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2 comments

  1. Sometimes an observer breaks his silence, this is one of those times.I sat in the pavilion, and watched for decades. I heard the voices crying out, no one took heed. one voice sang “is we” putting the responsibility squarely on our shoulders. Did we listen?? Another sang”party time(“De 5yrs nearly done, is time to have some fun…).We like it so…. Yet another”money is no problem”. I see a people lost and in denial. A people who are so blind, that they are unaware of their blindness. So they blame, while looking for a savior. Every five years, they chose someone to blame, and repeat the process every cycle. They always need more, to “solve the problems”. The problems that they create and continue to support. The workers oops. (employees) need more money for less output, fueling inflation. The Ministries need more money to be less efficient. The police need more vehicles, so that they can “mash dem up”.The regional corps, never have enough to build box drains,and finance corrupt contractors for “kickbacks”.We have more churches, yet less brotherly love. More stadiums , yet less excellence in sports.More schools, more ignorance. More vehicles, yet we take more time between destinations.I can continue, but i surmise…WE DO NOT IMPORT…Police, Preachers, Politicians, Priests,Parents, Professors, Pirates and all the folks we blame. We produce them locally, and constantly recycle them. If,then, we are honest…with whom does the responsibility lie????????

  2. The article was going good and making sense until the writer wrote………”So he is advocating that contracts should not be given to the small man in the communities and that will solve crime”.

    Ah done read after dat! Steupses!

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