'Everybody is somebody'

THE EDITOR: If Commissioner Gary Griffith could check references from trusted historical sources and not from wartime propaganda, he may not find it so flattering to compare himself to Winston Churchill, as he did a few days ago on a morning programme.

In a similar vein, his constant references to America as the yardstick do not hold water. Police brutality is a constant topic of talk shows in America, especially as it relates to people who some may categorise as cockroaches and pests.

I’m sure the Commissioner has good intentions when he says he’s determined to stamp out criminal activity in TT and I, for one, am in agreement with the pursuit of that goal. What’s more, I think I see in Mr Griffith an honourable man.

It would appear that a substantial segment of our population see a certain group of people as cockroaches who need to be treated as such. But on what basis are such opinions formed?

To paraphrase a statement used to reflect on a past historical event: First they came for the cockroaches who lived in areas populated by the poor and vulnerable; then they came for those among the working poor, who resembled those other cockroaches; then they came for others with similar features who considered themselves to be among the more privileged in the society, but their privileged status did not protect them because appearance was what mattered.

To quote the late Dr Winston 'Shadow' Bailey, “Everybody is somebody.”

E Ramsaroop via e-mail