Early nights will give us freedom

The current state of emergency has seen mixed responses from citizens, with some for and some against. Those against the SoE point to what they see as the denial of basic human rights. I keep hearing citizens say that the Government is infringing upon their rights by controlling what times they are allowed out of their homes. Where were these people when our basic rights were taken away when we were imprisoned in our homes at night for fear of being robbed, raped or killed? We were even afraid inside our homes, for we knew that no criminal was afraid to invite themselves in and take what they wanted. We barricaded ourselves inside concrete walls, burglar-proofed windows and steel doors. Not only parents were worried for their children but children worried about their parents. The calls by the population to do something about this situation were endless.

Failed attempts at alleviating the crime problem are nothing new to us; we are used to them by now. Nothing was able to keep the lawlessness from happening. Therefore, a major attempt is now being made by the Government to finally give us peace, and allow us to eventually be able to wander our streets at night and go to the grocery store without worrying about being killed. The people who are claiming that they now have no rights, please know this: as long as criminals continue to roam our streets and we allow them to do so, we will never have rights. A few weeks of going home in early at night will give us years of freedom, and give our children lifetimes. We must help ourselves first before anyone else can help us. So let us help this Government rid our land of the vermin that plagues it. A few weeks can save lives.

Feroze Benny
Charlieville, Chaguanas