OPPOSITION Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar was shown love and appreciation, and dubbed “mother” by the people of Morvant and Laventille, which is known as a “die-hard PNM area”, on May 13.
Residents, who attended the United National Congress (UNC) fifth national anti-crime consultation at Misir Community Centre, publicly aired their hurt and pain caused by crime and spoke out on the victimisation and hardship endured because of their alignment with the opposition.
Crime was destroying families, they said, shedding light on people being forced to toe the line or face death if they did not join in the drug and gang trade, the inability to find jobs, about the invisible border line which caused them to become targets of bordering communities, and young men and women who wanted to rise above all of that, but were not being given the opportunity.
Claiming that it was “Kamla who put food on her table,” and assisted in her obtaining a law degree, the message was loud and clear form a woman named Lita Thompson.
“It is time we stand together and stop this divide from each other and get things right. Time we stop playing politics and start playing country.”
A mother of nine, Thompson she said four of her children were at university and one recently graduated in chemical engineering, to demonstrate that there were talented and academically qualified people in the community, which got a bad rap from the few criminal elements tarnishing the area.
“We can make a difference for ourselves and we have the support of the honourable lady (Persad-Bissessar) who has come to listen to what we have to say, who love us."
She urged residents, “not to play the race card,” but appreciate and thank her for helping to bring change and development.
A woman named Joy whose son, known as “Bussup”, was shot and killed on Charlotte Street, Port of Spain, said because of her public alignment with the UNC, her family were politically victimised. She said her sons, whom she said were bright children, could not get jobs, like so many other young men and women in the community.
“Government telling them they not giving them no work because they would take their money and buy guns. People don’t have money and they have guns, people who can’t even spell ‘gun’ have guns, so what they talking about they not giving them work so they could buy guns.”
Another woman named Ayana, said the turf war was real, pointing out this is what got her brother killed outside of Brics Hotel in January. She said her brother did not smoke, was not involved in drugs or gang warfare, but was simply killed because of where he lived.
Former local government candidate, Catherine “Precious” Perry also alluded to people being unable to attend Monday night’s meeting because of the turf war.
“I myself can’t go into certain places and I am female.”
While she would have lost the East Dry River seat she contested in the last local government elections, Precious said she continues to get requests from residents who want jobs and basic amenities.
“When they come a
