On Sunday last, I had the dis-stink-tion of listening to a comment from Machel Montano during the TV6 Evening News broadcast. The story was touted as one relating to his Alternative Concept 3+3 Concert that was held on Saturday night, Mr. Montano though felt it necessary to speak out on crime.
Serious? A plea from Machel about the crime in the country? And not only that but his blaming the government and saying that they must address the situation. What about self-responsibility Machel? As an individual that has two cases before the courts that are violence related, how is the government to blame for your actions? When, on stage in 'Wiked in White', you massage your crotch into a young woman's head, all be it part of performance, what sort of mentality are you pushing and engaging in? Indeed, you have done a lot of positives, had a strong influence on many youths who would otherwise be in gangs and shooting guns. But our problem is not just one of weapons, it is one of mentality and culture, and these things must change.
As a role model to younger people, every move and decision is followed and analyzed. Indeed, life in the public scope is not fair as your every action is under a microscope. Yet, with great power comes great responsibility. To the young man that you don't have one on one contact with, to not accept responsibility, even on the level of an individual that was present, is wrong and sets the wrong type of example. The government is not omni-present, WE have to begin to make these changes.
Wednesday 30 January 2008
Tuesday 22 January 2008
Split Me In Two
"If they sending Indians to India
And Africans back to Africa
Somebody please just tell me
Where they sending poor me?
I am neither one nor the other
Six of one, half a dozen of the other
If they serious 'bout sending back people fuh true
Dey bound tuh split me in two." Dougla - 1961 Trinidad Calypso Monarch
The act of splitting involves taking something that was once singular and dividing it into something that is now multiple. For the Dougla it was difficult to reconcile how he could be split as it is for me, though mine is not a question of race but rather principle. It becomes difficult to find the balance between caring about a nation and preserving the self. I question my motivation, should I be concerned with what my country should do for me, or should I be concerned with what I can do for my country? Why do I even question such a thing in a place where if I point out to a fellow driver that he is doing the wrong thing only to have him describe my mother's most intimate anatomy? Why focus on doing for my country when so many others are just getting theirs and living it up? Why not follow the other trained professionals, get a government sponsored education and by extension a personal skill upgrade, and then buss it, jet off to a new place, new time, but for the same wine and dine?
What is my role in a society that is lawless? And by lawless I don't even mean the murders and robberries, I mean the simple inability of the average Trinidadian to respect the laws of the road. There was a time when a round-a-bout had a right of way, this is almost no more. There was also a time when indicators were used to signify that people are changing lanes, now they merely slow the daily flights on our nation's roads down. I am convinced that Bwee buss in the plane business so that now we have Caribbean Airlines in the sky, but Bwee wukkin taxi, P/H, transport and everything else on the ground.
Time and again we change government, and time and again we get new institutions, policies and structure. Yet every time we end back up in the same place, namely inefficiency, ineffectiveness and no accountability. Whether it be to decentralize some aspects of the health sector into regional health authorities, or to shift from URP to CEPEP, these are merely surface changes. Little if anything at all is done to address the attitude, mentality and purpose of the people within these organizations.
So many questions; maybe Dougla was right yuh know? Maybe it need two of everybody a ying (good) and a yang (bad). This way, people could really live what they saying on both sides instead of crying about crime and living lawlessly at the same time. But when they do that...I goin' Tobago.
And Africans back to Africa
Somebody please just tell me
Where they sending poor me?
I am neither one nor the other
Six of one, half a dozen of the other
If they serious 'bout sending back people fuh true
Dey bound tuh split me in two." Dougla - 1961 Trinidad Calypso Monarch
The act of splitting involves taking something that was once singular and dividing it into something that is now multiple. For the Dougla it was difficult to reconcile how he could be split as it is for me, though mine is not a question of race but rather principle. It becomes difficult to find the balance between caring about a nation and preserving the self. I question my motivation, should I be concerned with what my country should do for me, or should I be concerned with what I can do for my country? Why do I even question such a thing in a place where if I point out to a fellow driver that he is doing the wrong thing only to have him describe my mother's most intimate anatomy? Why focus on doing for my country when so many others are just getting theirs and living it up? Why not follow the other trained professionals, get a government sponsored education and by extension a personal skill upgrade, and then buss it, jet off to a new place, new time, but for the same wine and dine?
What is my role in a society that is lawless? And by lawless I don't even mean the murders and robberries, I mean the simple inability of the average Trinidadian to respect the laws of the road. There was a time when a round-a-bout had a right of way, this is almost no more. There was also a time when indicators were used to signify that people are changing lanes, now they merely slow the daily flights on our nation's roads down. I am convinced that Bwee buss in the plane business so that now we have Caribbean Airlines in the sky, but Bwee wukkin taxi, P/H, transport and everything else on the ground.
Time and again we change government, and time and again we get new institutions, policies and structure. Yet every time we end back up in the same place, namely inefficiency, ineffectiveness and no accountability. Whether it be to decentralize some aspects of the health sector into regional health authorities, or to shift from URP to CEPEP, these are merely surface changes. Little if anything at all is done to address the attitude, mentality and purpose of the people within these organizations.
So many questions; maybe Dougla was right yuh know? Maybe it need two of everybody a ying (good) and a yang (bad). This way, people could really live what they saying on both sides instead of crying about crime and living lawlessly at the same time. But when they do that...I goin' Tobago.
Thursday 10 January 2008
Un-Commissioned
Greetings one and all. I hope that the holiday season passed safely for you all. Here in Trinidad, there were many who were missing safety from their season. Indeed, it seems that to crime there is no end in sight. My question is how can their be?
It becomes easy for the public to blame the police, since they are in charge of crime some of the responsibility lies with them but not all of it. The entire population, young and old, must accept responsibility for crime being where it is. The police service is not omnipresent nor omniscient, they cannot be in all places at all times nor can they know all things. Yet to hold policemen fully responsible for crime is to assume both of these things.
This, however, is not a vindication for a police force that is sluggish, corrupt, and misleading. How is it that a gas station can be robbed on a main road, separated from the police station by one building. Yet when the gas station attendant runs to the station to alert the police of the robbery, he is told 'We have no vehicles.' How does that man feel, after he just run to alert them and no one is willing to run back with him to assist?
Commissioner Paul made an appeal for public support very early into the new year. Indeed, a crucial aspect to getting a handle on crime. After this appeal, however, he authorized the raiding of Beetham Gardens and Chafford Courts in Port-of-Spain. Both of these areas are low-income and do have criminal elements residing in them. Yet, the warrant-less search of residences, the ransacking of homes and violence used toward residents does anything but build public support. Ironically enough, these are the very areas where public support needs to be built. The police need residents in the Beetham to be confident that they treat suspected individuals fairly or else how will they receive valuable information? If public support is raised in higher income areas like Lange Park or West Moorings or Valsayn or Gulf View, how does this help when, largely, criminal elements tend to come from lower income areas?
No Commissioner Paul, your approach is wrong. The support that you pleaded for has to come from the low income areas, you already have the high income area support since they want you to do your job and protect their investments and homes. In the low income areas, where people do not have, there is a higher chance of criminal activity. A higher chance of a young man consciously deciding to join a gang. How can his grandmother feel about turning him in when not more than a week ago your officers broke down her door and ransacked her house? Will she feel like the police will rehabilitate her grandson, or will she see them as only an oppressive force that don't care about poor people? And when the poor feel uncared for, what direction is left for them to turn?
You cannot treat low-income citizens as second-class citizens simply because they live in high-risk areas. Whether or not we like it, this country's constitution affords the same rights and respect to all of its citizens, even criminals and undoubtedly those living in criminal areas. To subject these individuals to the fear and trauma that is an unexpected, early morning raid, and not even have a legal document to back it up gives the impression that the police can do what they want when they want. Just as fire brings fire, the unfair treatment will only serve to increase bitterness that will be turned against the police service and the general population. Thank you Commissioner Paul, for 'protecting and serving'.
It becomes easy for the public to blame the police, since they are in charge of crime some of the responsibility lies with them but not all of it. The entire population, young and old, must accept responsibility for crime being where it is. The police service is not omnipresent nor omniscient, they cannot be in all places at all times nor can they know all things. Yet to hold policemen fully responsible for crime is to assume both of these things.
This, however, is not a vindication for a police force that is sluggish, corrupt, and misleading. How is it that a gas station can be robbed on a main road, separated from the police station by one building. Yet when the gas station attendant runs to the station to alert the police of the robbery, he is told 'We have no vehicles.' How does that man feel, after he just run to alert them and no one is willing to run back with him to assist?
Commissioner Paul made an appeal for public support very early into the new year. Indeed, a crucial aspect to getting a handle on crime. After this appeal, however, he authorized the raiding of Beetham Gardens and Chafford Courts in Port-of-Spain. Both of these areas are low-income and do have criminal elements residing in them. Yet, the warrant-less search of residences, the ransacking of homes and violence used toward residents does anything but build public support. Ironically enough, these are the very areas where public support needs to be built. The police need residents in the Beetham to be confident that they treat suspected individuals fairly or else how will they receive valuable information? If public support is raised in higher income areas like Lange Park or West Moorings or Valsayn or Gulf View, how does this help when, largely, criminal elements tend to come from lower income areas?
No Commissioner Paul, your approach is wrong. The support that you pleaded for has to come from the low income areas, you already have the high income area support since they want you to do your job and protect their investments and homes. In the low income areas, where people do not have, there is a higher chance of criminal activity. A higher chance of a young man consciously deciding to join a gang. How can his grandmother feel about turning him in when not more than a week ago your officers broke down her door and ransacked her house? Will she feel like the police will rehabilitate her grandson, or will she see them as only an oppressive force that don't care about poor people? And when the poor feel uncared for, what direction is left for them to turn?
You cannot treat low-income citizens as second-class citizens simply because they live in high-risk areas. Whether or not we like it, this country's constitution affords the same rights and respect to all of its citizens, even criminals and undoubtedly those living in criminal areas. To subject these individuals to the fear and trauma that is an unexpected, early morning raid, and not even have a legal document to back it up gives the impression that the police can do what they want when they want. Just as fire brings fire, the unfair treatment will only serve to increase bitterness that will be turned against the police service and the general population. Thank you Commissioner Paul, for 'protecting and serving'.
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