Dear Editor,
When the Bachanal was in its prime, I told someone that in our days that person would be asked to come the station to have a talk with certain authorities in order for that person to understand that not everything which is not written in the law as forbidden will be tolerated. The safety of the people has priority.
I got my first driver’s license in 1965. What year was it stipulated that the use of cell phone while actively driving is forbidden? So one does not have to wait until something which does not seem to be kosher proves to be not kosher to act. But political pundits were not concerned about the public at large, because they had their personal agenda and they wanted to get in no matter what it takes.
Several people send things to me via whatsapp. I told them emphatically, “Do not give audience.”
The other thing was the police striking. I wrote to you and mentioned that “Police doesn't strike.” It diminishes their authority. I even told a few of them that personally. Instead they went further and the union representative joined a political party and campaigned against the Minister of Justice. The only person who could stand up for them.
And what is happening in the meantime. Political party leaders, citizens of this same country, are rubbing their hands. The same people who eventually will need the same police who they coerced into taking sides, are now telling the community, “Sorry we will like you vote for us but the authority of our police force is at a point where we cannot guarantee your safety if we hold public political meetings.” It is a shame and a slap in the face of the people.
So my question is: What are the promises they are going to make to the people? What happened to public safety? Must we assume that we are taking a risk by going to the supermarket? When you have a Minister of Justice walking around the town like Django with his gun in open carry and within two days making heads roll in the same police force of which he was a member, what should one expect?
Forming a government coalition at all cost usually turns out to be exactly that: “at all costs”. Any civic-minded leader would have strived to keep the Minister of Justice, who we all know that she was well on her way to get things done in the right way, in place. I do not believe then we would be reading that article on the front page of “The Daily Herald” of July 25th.
Russell A. Simmons
