Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has defended the decision of her new administration to push ahead with legislation allowing law-abiding citizens to have access to legal firearms in defense of themselves and their families.
She told a post-Cabinet news conference on Thursday night that the stand-your-ground legislation had been an issue the United National Congress (UNC) led coalition had campaigned on during the April 28 general election.
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She told reporters that a committee will create the legislation looking at models worldwide, including from nearby Florida and that her administration would not be seeking to push the legislation on all citizens, because as in a democracy, everyone is entitled to their position.
But she said “if criminals invade your homes, do not back down, show absolutely no mercy, and attack them with full force within the law of Trinidad and Tobago. I am fully committed to making sure the law is put in place.
“We campaigned on that, we got a special majority vote, that was one of the things we promised, and we will deliver. For those of you who are against that…the answer is simple: do not apply.
“This is still a democracy and as long as I am here, it will remain a democracy,” Persad Bissessar said, adding persons are free to voice their opinions on the matter.
“Today I am voicing mine. Many victims of home invasion have written to me about their experiences. Most victims wanted to defend their families but did not have the equal means to do it,” she said, insisting that in the first place, no one should be invading people’s homes, and that the government, judiciary, and police must work to ensure home invasions stop.
Persad Bissessar, who previously led a coalition government between 2010 and 2015, said that the former People’s National Movement (PNM) government had “failed miserably” for almost a decade to protect citizens.
“I ask you to just envision and imagine some criminal beating the life out of your husband or your wife, raping your daughter. What would you do? You will have to stand your ground and defend your family,” she said, telling reporters that there were too many home invasions, and after the law is passed, citizens will have the right to defend their homes and family.
She said criminals have shown no mercy for the last decade and more, and thousands have been murdered, gone missing, been terrorized, extorted, and or beaten.
During the news conference, Homeland Security Minister, Roger Alexander, a former senior police officer, gave reporters a demonstration of a home invasion.
He said the criminal pulls a person out of their bed by their legs or hair and instructs them to lie on the ground as they demand money and jewelry.
“You hear screaming and you could do nothing. You hear either your mother, your daughter or your wife screaming: ‘Oh God, don’t do me that nah, please, please, don’t do me that!’” Alexander said, adding that sometimes there would be a moment of silence and one wonders if one’s loved one had been killed.
He said that these criminals walk away and the only response that innocent people have is the ability to cry. (CMC)
