View Point

“[…] Seek feedback about the performance of your councillors, ask the right questions and most of all ensure that people feel safe to share their views. Do not only focus on councillors and the Corporation’s Facebook pages as community engagement. Getting feedback allows for lateral and divergent views to enhance …

“[…] During public consultations, Minister Wayne Sturge went so far as to suggest that citizens might be justified in shooting police officers entering their homes, since it’s hard to determine if they are actual police or bandits… “[…] Imagine being a police officer, doing your job, and wondering if someone …

As I have made plain, I value the commentaries contained in letters to the editor. Last week I quoted the contribution of Anthony Bennett of San Fernando with regard to the lack of accountability permeating the state enterprise culture. I did so in the course of a commentary following the …

“[…] International experience, particularly in the United States, shows that Stand Your Ground laws have not made communities safer. Instead, they have led to an increase in gun-related deaths, encouraged vigilante justice, and worsened social divisions. “[…] Moreover, these laws will not benefit all citizens equally. The high cost of …

“[…] T&T’s education system thus faces two challenges—decades old, but now more pressing in the context of 21st century market requirements and the ongoing advancement of artificial intelligence. “For the top 3%, a system that emphasises rote learning and memorisation is both demotivating and increasingly irrelevant in the real world. …

“[…] While the proponents of this proposed bill argue that these laws will promote self-defense and personal responsibility, critics have raised concerns about increased violence and potential for abuse. “It is against this backdrop, that I humbly seek permission to utilise your column to express my contributions as a citizen…” …

Elements of the trade union movement now sits inside the coalition that governs Trinidad and Tobago. That should have brought working-class concerns closer to the centre of national decision-making. Instead, we’re seeing silence, especially on the issues that matter most to working people. There may be voices in the room, …

In these weekly columns I have pursued certain matters that the leaders whom we elect by means of general elections are simply not willing to confront. Unhelpfully, many other significant leaderships in the nation are generally content only to mouth platitudes about ‘partnering’ and ‘welcoming’ as they sway with the …

“[…] The psychological impact of long-term oppression can be devastating, leading to a cycle of poverty, social alienation, and continued subjugation. Mental slavery is not just an individual issue but a societal one, as communities and even entire nations can be affected by the lingering effects of colonialism, racism, and …

“[…] The 1990 coup demonstrated that unchecked religious freedom and extreme religious ideologies can pose a direct threat to democracy and civil liberties. This horrendous event is a sobering example of how extreme religious beliefs, if unchecked, can manifest as domestic terrorism. “Freedom of religion does not include the liberty …

“[…] Let us be clear: the perpetrators of July 1990 were not patriots. The true patriots defended the Constitution and safeguarded our Republic, some at the cost of their lives, others bearing wounds and trauma to this day. “[…] Today, three months after returning to office, I reaffirm my Government’s …

In the recent past, governments both of the United National Congress (UNC) and of the Peoples National Movement (PNM) have had the then president of the Republic proclaim states of emergency said to be directed at the level of violent criminal activity. The dates of the proclamations were respectively 21 …