A spineless society

THE EDITOR: In general, most of us do nothing simply because it is easier to do so.

Throughout history, the few, the wicked and the immoral have been able to rule and take advantage of the many because of fear. Taking a stand for what one knows to be right is not always easy. Think of Galileo, he submitted that the sun was the centre of the solar system, and the planets went around the sun.

For attempting to share that knowledge he was convicted of “vehement suspicion of heresy” and ended up under house arrest until his demise.

I think of the many students in our universities, our professors, our knowledgeable public servants, our religious bodies and the many wise ordinary men and women who make up our population. These people watched the destruction of our local government structure and did nothing, the said nothing as the train was removed as a means of transport and the lines chopped up for various uses.

They remained quiet as squatters occupied the train lines. They stay quiet as the hills of the Lady Young Road are carved and occupied by squatters. We stay quiet as the unscrupulous few engage in illegal quarrying. We watch and cower as a few misguided criminals run rampage in our communities with guns. We put our hand up in the air and accept our fate as if divinely destined. We accept as the norm financiers with their personal agendas, take over our political institutions.

There are people who say in hushed voices that the Opposition Leader and her chosen few cannot and will not win the next general election mainly because the people who really matter, the swing voters, will not vote for those who they cannot trust. But they are afraid to say that publicly or to try and get the message over to her simply because they fear been ostracised by her supporters.

TT requires our best engineers, teachers, agriculturalists, lawyers, doctors, farmers, fisherfolk, support personnel and ordinary people to stand up and ensure that there is a viable alternative to the existing government. The option of staying with the status quo and hoping that a change will come is senseless.

I have never engaged in criticising people and making disparaging remarks for political gain.

I believe in the goodness of the people of TT and have always stood by that conviction. Now is the time for the good people of TT to get together and take a stand for what is right or perish.

The few who feel that their grouping can win without the coming together of all the good people are misguided.

via e-mail

Steve Alvarez

Head of the Democratic Party of TT