Letter: The Williams Mindset

As a Trini who loves his country and desires to return home, I am absolutely disgusted with Keith Rowley's rapid return to the gutter politics of his morally bankrupt PNM mindset.

Disgusted, but by no means surprised since mass distraction, character assassination and the denigration of any incorruptible individuals in public life have from inception represented the strategies upon which he and his party have relied since 1956 for their acquisition and retention of political power, classic examples of which were the fates suffered by the late Jean Miles, Meiling Mook Sang and the late Albert Gomes and his family at the hands of Williams and his hoodlums.

Tragically, like Patrick Manning before him, Rowley has learned and forgotten nothing but that aspect of the Williams legacy.

Unfortunately for the generations since 1956, those malign aspects are by no means confined to alumni of Williams' "University of Woodford Sq."

Even more disgusting is the gravity and concern attached to Rowley's recent diatribes against the new ruling dispensation by otherwise responsible and intelligent members of society, particularly those who assisted in achieving the bloodless revolution of 24/5/10.

This is no more obvious than in honouring with the respectability of journalistic debate Rowley's attempt to compromise the political and personal reputations of Austin Jack Warner.

Yet more so is their outrage as a young, brilliant and incorruptible AG takes a page out of the PNM blue print and announces his intention of bringing Rowley, Imbert, Manning and Nunez Tesheira, under legal scrutiny for their alleged malfeasance in power!

Initial disgust was, followed by incredulity at the recognition of just of how deeply the society's reasoning processes have been adversely impacted by the Williams legacy.

That distorting legacy has been deeply ingrained not merely in the psyche of disciples of the Balisier but perhaps subconsciously, yet as perniciously, in the generations of young and old, who have for 50+years known nothing else!

How else was that other PNM graduate permitted from his presidential position to foist upon us, instead of another election, a minority supported PNM, the same recently dismissed in disgrace, without massive protest at that expensive and ruinous compromise of democracy?

Clearly though Williams has been dead these many years, his legacy lives on to denigrate and frustrate any decency, honesty and generosity in public life such as manifested by Jack Warner.

This has created in my beloved homeland, one of the most dysfunctional societies in the hemisphere. This is further obvious in popular reaction to permitting the law courts to either exonerate as innocent, or convict leading members of the Manning PNM for their crimes against society.

This popular reaction too is part of the Williams mindset. All who did the crime, must do the time, except defeated PNM ministers, however guilty.

In these circumstances the thirst for justice is morphed into "witch hunting"! To that distorted reasoning, my personal reaction is, let the hunt begin NOW.

Clearly, before T&T can enjoy peace, progress and individual security for all it's citizens, regardless of race, status or political affiliation, an urgent prerequisite must be the complete and irrevocable destruction of that distorted mindset.

This necessity precludes any other consideration or pressing social necessity. Any attempt by the new ruling dispensation is doomed to failure should they ignore this prerequisite.

If, therefore, that achievement demands a "witch hunt", as their misguided critics suggest, then let the hunt begin.

I recall no expressions of outrage when an illegitimate PNM, in search of popular acceptance and pandering to ethnic bias, resorted to exactly that strategy against their unfairly deposed and majority supported rivals.

Where was popular outrage expressed when a former CJ was hounded out of office? Did not Rowley thunder in Parliament that corruption under the Manning PNM was "10 times worse" than that for which the UNC was deposed and persecuted?

Be that as it may, the Balisier has been from inception a haven for witches, warlocks, their imps and familiars, beginning with Williams himself and his reputed occult dabbling.

While I advocate no burnings at the stake in Woodford Sq., I would happily pay a significant entrance fee to see Manning, Rowley, Imbert, Nunez-Texeira et al made to answer publicly for their alleged sins, both of commission and omission, during their abuses of elected office.

To this laudable end, PRESS ON REGARDLESS Mr AG. The fragile lamp of hope lit on 24/5/10 is already threatened by the fulminations of the powers of darkness, should they succeed, then the result does not bear contemplation.

Deny them that opportunity. Act with despatch in the pursuit of truth and justice!

Cleanse the beloved country
T.G. Mendes