Contempt for, abuse of citizens

THE EDITOR: After hearing National Security Minister Stuart Young, I can affirm that ignorance may flourish, even in the minds of educated professionals.

Perhaps politics blurs the thinking of people who simply assume we the citizens are all stupid and they alone can think. Along with him, members of the Cabinet have responded to all inquiries and complaints by blaming the last government.

Now Young has the brazenness to suggest that a number of recent shooting incidents was not done by criminals, but by people bent on creating fear and panic in TT.

I will not request his resignation, because then I would have to call on members of the leading political parties in government to resign.

He is simply a victim of a decadent political culture where it is all right to spread false rumours and make wild insinuations without evidence. But this time, however, even the most brainwashed party supporter will reject this conspiracy theory.

The point is that since independence our leaders have created the crime-ridden society that now confronts us. There are few attempts to enforce laws that would mould an orderly society.

People are free to squat, to earn without working, to build and operate mini-marts on the public roadways, to operate PH taxis, to reclaim land from the riversides, to disturb the peace with loud music, and many officials refuse to carry out their duties in ensuring compliance with the law. There is blatant appeasement of wrongdoers.

Furthermore, the vendetta between political groups makes it the norm to defame, despise and condemn members of opposing political groups. This must encourage many in the population to act likewise.

How about those politicians who use their connections to acquire former Caroni lands and other favours? Remember that many of us act as we see others do, conforming to social learning theory.

So if the pastors can indoctrinate in order to get their hands on the possessions of the congregation, then the message that greed is good is delivered to the people. Particularly those exposed to a dysfunctional education system that places emphasis on recall rather than evaluating the evidence.

Consultations on education reform came with restrictions, such as the Concordat being off limits. The expectations for education in TT as stated in the Draft Education Policy Paper 2017-2022 is to build human resource capital for sustainable development (p.1).

The fact that a functional education system can prepare people to live rewarding lives in a peaceful environment has escaped our leaders, particularly within recent times.

Our curriculum, from early childhood to university, must be revised to engage students in experiences that would shape their consciences to encourage them to be more compassionate, tolerant, friendly, family-oriented, productive, patriotic, co-operative, law-abiding, self-reliant, and honest.

Economic development loses its meaning when one must be forever wary of drive-by shootings and home invasions.

Some might argue that many of these topics are already in the curriculum. However, my position is that the teaching methods used that mainly involves telling cannot bring changes in attitudes.

Students must be allowed to visit the prisons and the courts to witness the consequences of crime.

They must research and write case studies on criminals and also on those who rose from poor beginnings to become exemplars.

They must live in a school environment where these values are expressed in the processes of the school. How can we expect crime to be reduced when bullying prevails in so many schools?

I look around in Chaguanas and see so many abandoned projects, such as the 12-storey housing complex in Edinburgh 500, the wayside vending stalls on the Solomon Hochoy Highway in Chase Village, the abandoned venders’ stalls in Saith Park, among others. I see roads built recently deteriorate into ruins shortly after.

These provide tangible evidence of abuse to the taxpayers and contempt for the population. However, the attitude of our leaders is to listen only to those who speak in foreign accents, and to reject any ideas that come from locals.

DAVID SUBRAN

via e-mail