McDonald: Burglary was scary

MARLENE McDonald, Port of Spain South MP, said the recent burglary at her Santa Cruz home has left her more empathetic to victims of crime. She shared her thoughts with Newsday at a dinner she held for her constituency executive and Port of Spain City councillors last Thursday at her St James office.

She said, “You don’t know what victims of crime go through until it happens to you.”

McDonald was extremely grateful not to have been at home during the criminal intrusion and to be safe. “I still have a constituency to take care of. I got in at 9 am next day. My constituents are very supportive of me.”

She lamented the theft of two bangles of deep emotional value to her.

The MP related that her grandmother had bought them in 1932 to mark the birth of McDonald’s father.

“She was from Grenada and my grandfather was from St Vincent. They used to mind ducks and she saved her money in a sou-sou and then used it to buy the bracelets when my father was born.”

The jewellery was 86 years old, she related, lamenting not so much the financial loss but the sentimental loss.

Mulling the state of lawlessness in TT, McDonald reckoned it was best reversed by parents seeking a better interaction with their children.

“No amount of legislation...It starts in the home.”

She said too many parents sought to transfer their responsibilities onto their children’s schools. McDonald said parents must establish a interactive dialogue with their children, beyond a traditional admonition.

She then sent a message to constituents especially in high-rise areas such as Nelson Street, Port of Spain, to be very careful of home fires this Christmas.

“Watch your children. Supervise them. I wish all a very happy Christmas. Thank you for supporting me. It has been a very challenging year for your MP.”

Later she addressed her guests. She urged caution in light of her recent burglary.

“Don’t underestimate your surroundings. I never thought something like that would happen to me. If I had walked in on them, the story might have been different today. The bedroom was like a war zone. Despite it all, I am alive.”

She then revealed that in the recent local elections, the only seat on the 12-seat Port of Spain Council that Balisier House was worried about was Woodbrook where the votes cast could have resulted in an alderman seat for former mayor Louis Lee Sing. She was glad he had been fended off, in contrast to the Diego Martin council where, under a new allocation formula, the PNM has had to concede an alderman position to the UNC.

Event emcee Port of Spain alderman Wendell Stephens hailed McDonald as the constituency’s best ever MP and urged guests to lift her up in prayer.

Those present included councillors Ester Sylvester, Camille Mc Dougall, Denis Bristol and June Durham, plus former councillor Keno Romeo and PNM operations manager Irene Hinds. Devon Seales sang two calypsos and Christmas carols, while Ann-Marie Davidson performed two humorous skits.

Guests hailed McDonald.

Durham said, “My MP is the sweetest MP. She has supported me through the years.” One woman said, “If all MPs were like Miss McDonald, the PNM would never lose an election.” Romeo thanked her “for making me a better councillor.”

Davidson, who works in the constituency office, hailed the MP. “Miss McDonald is a very genuine person. She doesn’t say one thing and mean another. I learnt a lot from her on how to conduct my life.” Otherwise, McDonald has had many challenges in 2019, having faced corruption charges, lost her ministerial post and had health issues, but on Thursday keenly interacted with her constituency officials.