politicians are not to be taken genuinely in most instances. they generally say whatever they feel voters want to hear. they sometimes make statements because they have to make statements and not because they care. still, its upsetting when politicians use politics to reinforce stereotypes and misguided solutions to societal ills. the latest example of this is a recent statement by justice minister herbert volney. as reported in the trinidad guardian:
Minister of Justice Herbert Volney wants the police to rid the streets of vagrants, not “shake down young people for marijuana.” He made the comments in an interview at his Justice Ministry office, Tower C, Waterfront Complex, Wrightson Road, Port-of-Spain, yesterday.
if vagrancy is a crime it shouldn’t be. and while vagrancy is a societal ill, it needs to be understood that societal ill is not solely a problem of the individual. it is a problem rooted in the society. high levels of vagrancy reflect on the society not the individual vagrant. it is the same manner in which mental illness (and consequently the way people who suffer from mental illness are treated) reflect on society, not the person who is ill. i mean who’s “crazier”: the man roaming the streets and shouting or the one who wants to beat up that man because he is?
what measures are put in place to curb vagrancy? what are the stigmas associated with homelessness? does the general population have compassion for vagrants? or people with mental illness? i am constantly disappointed by the way i hear people discuss “mad people” and “lazy people” who live on the streets.
furthermore, you know what is a greater societal ill than vagrancy minister volney? police brutality and corruption. the police do not need to rid the streets of vagrants. they need to rid the force of officers who do not abide by the law and who kill teenagers (criminal or non-criminal).
Zahra Gordon 
Leave a comment