Mr PM, it is with great concern that I am writing in relation to the gun laws that have been broken in T&T.
Your stance in the Parliament last week on this said matter demonstrated figuratively, that shooting the messenger was more important than getting to the root of the problem.
A saying to the wise "When you resort to attacking the messenger and not the message, you have lost the debate,"–Addison Whitecomb Mr Prime Minister, as you are fully aware, pictures of under-aged children (by law) handling high-powered military weapons have been recently circulating in the public domain. Is there a $50,000 summary convictions fine and a ten-year imprisonment motive behind his actions to do so?
As an educator in a "high-risk" secondary school dealing with "at-risk" teens, I feel this matter needs to be dealt with swiftly and vigorously to send a positive message to these youths that no one is above the law. Too often black youths are convicted for posing in pictures with illegal firearms in our country. Do I tell my "at-risk" students that in the land of T&T every creed and race does not find an equal place? Do I tell my "at-risk" students that there exists one law for youths from the middle and lower economic class in society and another for the upper class? Do I tell my "at-risk" students that no one is above the law, yet the PM of T&T refuses to recognise that several gun laws have been broken and does absolutely nothing about it?
Mr Prime Minister, your continued failure to act on this matter will paramount to an avalanche of anger and resentment from a people already scorned with inequity and injustice in a country that boasts on equality for all.
Mr Prime Minister, I have utmost faith in the office in which you hold that you would do the honourable thing, as difficult as it may be for you, and dismiss the Attorney General.
Varsha Sankar