Warner was right - Afri-centric analysis
By Dr. Kwame Nantambu
June 29, 2012The decision by newly-appointed Minister of National Security, Austin Jack Warner to demolish the "Highway Re-route Movement" camp on government land was the right thing to do.
The fact of the matter is that since T&T has degenerated into a lawless society, now is the time for a totally responsible government to take the bull by the horns and enforce the laws of this country, period. Long-outstanding half measures did not work; in fact, they have exacerbated the crime problem to the nth degree.
Now is the time to terminate the carnival mentality approach toward crime in T&T. Overt lawlessness must end. The former PNM administration failed miserably to address/deal with this national dilemma. Now is the time for the People's Partnership government to attack this problem with full force.
And the only person at the helm to reverse this lawlessness trend is Austin "Uncle Jack" Warner, period.
Now there may be many Trinbagonians who have become comfortable in their own skin by the genre of lawlessness in T&T. However, these very same Trinbagonians indeed understand that if they were living any where in the United States of America that the law is enforced and they must obey it, period--- that's their societal conditioning.
Conversely, these very same Trinbagonians are conditioned that the societal reverse is true in sweet T&T—namely, one does not have to obey the law, period. "We like it."
"Uncle Jack" is totally determined, and rightly so, to reverse this current T&T Euro-centric, dysfunctional societal mind-set, period.
Now is the time for Trinbagonians to face the stark reality that with "Uncle Jack" at the helm of this country's national security apparatus that the laws of our country must and will be enforced "by any and all means necessary."
The fact of the matter is that tuff times call for tuff public policy actions/decisions and beyond that point in time, then, further tuff public policy decisions, albeit controversial, must be made and enacted.
Trinidad and Tobago has now reached that crucial point, as of this writing.
Ergo, "Uncle Jack" is the right man at this right time in T&T to deal effectively with the ever escalating crime problem in T&T.
Indeed, as usual, Trinibagonians on all sides of the political spectrum would immediately shout out loud and clear that "Uncle Jack's" action was illegal and/or unconstitutional but the Afri-centric reality is that "Uncle Jack" is threatening to demolish their political comfort zone, period. That's the real problem.
The fact of the matter is that previous carnival mentality crime fighting public policy actions have been the problem; the overt "in your face" public policy action by "Uncle Jack" is the only solution.
The salient reality is that Trinbagonians need to realize that in this new arena of fighting/combating/defeating crime that "Uncle Jack" is the new sheriff in town at the Ministry of National Security.
In addition, "Uncle Jack" is signalling to Trinbagonians to get out of their Euro-centric comfort zone and to "get with the program" in terms of this new Afri-centric, holistic approach to the intractable crime problem in T&T. Time is neither in our hands nor on our knees, period.
The salient truism is that legally any democratically–elected government on this planet-earth, has the constitutional right to enforce the universally accepted "law of eminent domain", and one does not have to be the recipient of "Silk" as in Queen's Counsel to accept this legal/constitutional reality.
What's the problem?
Indeed, let the record also reveal that Article 29 of the Constitution of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago categorically states that "every person in Trinidad and Tobago has the following fundamental duties: to obey and act in the spirit of the Constitution and laws of the State."
Truth Be Told: Austin "Uncle Jack " Warner as Minister of National Security of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is only seeking to ensure that Trinbagonians must obey the laws of this country "by any and all means necessary." Case closed , end of discussion, period.
Shem Hotep ("I go in peace").
Dr. Kwame Nantambu is a part-time lecturer at Cipriani College of Labour and Co-operative Studies.
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