Time to stop the destruction of our country
Dear Editor,
Writing about our ills, praying, and complaining is not enough. First, we must recognise the level to which we have sunk.
Perhaps it is time to consider if, as a nation, we are suffering from the Stockholm syndrome. WEBMD suggests that people who are held prisoner or are subject to abuse can have feelings of sympathy or other positive feelings toward their captor. This seems to happen after a prolonged period of captivity and close contact with the captor. Someone who has Stockholm syndrome might have confusing feelings toward the abuser, including love, sympathy, empathy, and a desire to protect them.
Trinidad and Tobago, it is not normal for any nation to be comfortable with:
*citizens being murdered daily with impunity
*justice taking over a decade to be achieved in the courts
*reservoirs filled with water but distribution so poor that only a small sector of the population has a reliable water supply
*leaking water distribution lines in every community destroying the roadways
*inefficiency in Government to the level that months after the conclusion of the contract of the former police commissioner, the appointment of a new commissioner seems unlikely in the short term.
*a senator’s public use of disparaging language to describe the holders of the highest offices in our land
*the neglect of basic maintenance of roadways, parks, bridges, beach facilities, public buildings, watercourses, and public vehicles.
*A highway of less than 50km costing more than TT$8 billion remaining incomplete after two terms served by the two major political parties in the country
*the inability to pay off student loans after ten years of employment
*graduates from the best universities unable to gain the level of employment necessary to afford a mortgage for a decent home in an upscale neighbourhood
*the absence or lack thereof of sporting equipment and facilities for young people
*an absence of long-term strategic planning for the economy
*the neglect of agriculture, abandoned lands, and no food security
*illegal quarrying, squatting, praedial larceny, and the setting of bush fires as commonplace
*a poor tourism package, despite having beautiful mountains with out-of-thisworld gorges, one of the best underground caves with a natural pool, great scuba sites, picturesque clean rivers, one of the best carnival celebrations worldwide, a pitch lake, unique flora and fauna and fantastic beaches.
The list can go on to address social issues, poor local government structure, and the extremely poor representation from Government.
It is just not normal for a population to just sit and accept such poor standards. It is unacceptable to blame our demise on race. We must wake up and unite to end this degradation of our country.
Let’s rebuild, together.