"Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers, that you do unto me"... Jesus Christ
"Man to man is so unjust, children, you don't know who to trust".... Robert Nesta Marley
Today in my country of oppulent overflow a tiny tinpot dictator whose own heart is ticking on a timer decided to ramajay his power and detained 104 of our least fortunate brethren into a dog catcher's truck and penned them in a locked stall at the Central Market.
How small minded and petty a man is he, to come up with such a plan in the first place I will never know as i do not plumb such depths, but he has shamed us all by his act, and if we do not kick down that gate and show these people some compassion we would all be complicit in this disgusting and dehumanizing scheme to rid Port of Spain of the human flotsam and jetsam just in time for the Christmas sales.
The problem of vagrancy is a difficult one to treat with, and that is precisely why the job this man now holds calls not for men of his ilk, but of people who have heart as well as brain.
I propose a second chance foundation be created and funded, whose sole purpose is the evaluation of the homeless and the rehousing with dignity these lost sons of our soil.
Most of our vagrants are either mentally ill, chemical dependent or just down on their luck. Mobile evaluation clinics could be deployed in all the boroughs of the country that have homeless people, as well as ambulances to remove them to rehab, mental hospital or the second chance foundation facility where they can be helped back onto their feet and made into contributing members of society again.
What was the mad rush about?
Why isn't this an ongoing process?
Mr. Louis Lee Sing I call you by name and write this into history. Today you made us all victims of abuse, today you made us all guilty of that same abuse by our association with you.
Yours is a dying breed, the despot so caught up in his own love affair with himself that he fails to see that the object of his affection is an insult to decency.
We would do well to rid ourselves of you once and for all and I cannot wait until the day you shuffle on your merry way to say good riddance and be damned with you.
Those people who you robbed of the last vestiges of humanity today are ten million times your better and you are not worthy to tie their shoes.
In the part of me that knows forgiveness I am straining to find a way to forgive you.
Thanks for this, Phillip. The Mighty Duke, may he rest in peace, sang the calypso "Victims" on the subject of vagrancy in Trinidad and Tobago with the same empathy that you show here.
ReplyDelete"We does protest everything here in Trinbago
But we accepted this vagrant issue just so
Not a word, no protest, we stay down quietly
That speaks a lot of our society
And government for some reason refuse to act
Every time it come forward, they push it back
Look, I don't criticise government to beat my drum
But this, my friend, is constructive criticism.
These people are victims
Neglected by the state, prejudices and hate, victims
Broken homes, broken lives, husbands, children and wives, all victims
Life's products, yes honey, creations of our society
Failing to give good health care to the citizenry
Are creations of our society
No man gets that way voluntarily
They are creations of our society.
Blessings
Phillip
ReplyDeleteWhile you are on the subject please mention Rhonda Maingot and the Living Waters Community for taking in some of the vagrants and for the wonderful work they have done for so long. I've known Rhonda for a long time and she has always had the heart I wish I could have. Truthfully, I couldn't see myself actually touching a vagrant, white protective suit or otherwise.
And don't be too hard on the little guy. He means well with what little goodness there is in him.