Griffith slams Rowley on joining Mexico's anti-gun lobby

NATIONAL Transformation Alliance (NTA) political leader Gary Griffith slammed the Prime Minister for announcing that Trinidad and Tobago is considering joining Mexico in taking legal action against American gun manufacturers for firearm related offences in their respective countries.

Dr Rowley made the announcement when he addressed a PNM political meeting in Barataria on March 9.

In a statement on Saturday, Griffith, a former commissioner of police and national security minister, described Rowley's statements as reflective of his own administration's failure to deal with crime and particularly the issue of illegal firearms being used to commit crime.

"Keith Rowley’s latest demonstration that he prefers looking for others to blame, rather than taking responsibility, is going international."

He pointed to the Prime Minister's blaming of parents for school violence as an attempt to shirk Goverment's role in addressing this issue.

Referring to Rowley's comments about TT joining Mexico's anti-gun lobby, Griffith said, "He is signalling that his administration will now turn its guns on businessmen in the USA, by trying to blame them for manufacturing firearms that have a negative impact on our country."

He was concerned that Rowley's comments could affect diplomatic relations with some of TT's most powerful international allies.

"This latest threat to sue has the potential to sour relations which could have devastating effects for the average citizen."

Griffith also described Rowley's logic as flawed.

He said this "is like saying people can sue fast food outlets, if they get a heart attack."

Drawing the analogy with the issue of arms trafficking and illegal firearms being used to commit crime, Griffith said Rowley's statements did nothing to ensure that TT's borders were secure against the threat of arms smuggling.

"The fact of the matter, however, is that Rowley needs to admit that no amount of blaming the opposition, and our international allies, will stop the flow of illegal guns and the violence and crime associated with it."

Griffith suggested that initiatives such as operational scanners at TT's ports and effective border protection measures would do more to address the issue of illegal firearms entering TT and being used by criminals to commit crime.