BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – OUTRAGE has been expressed by social commentator Washington ‘Washie’ Archibald over the government’s gross failure to get a grip on and control of crime in the Federation and the apathy it displays.
For years, the debate on whether or not government has full, part or no responsibility for crime and violence has waged on, fuelled not only by the escalation of this scourge on society but also by each suggestion on the government’s responsibility.
The impassioned teacher, while speaking in an exclusive interview with SKNVibes, expressed his belief that the government has some responsibility for crime, including crime detection and leading the charge in the fight against it.
“The government should be responsible for crime detection. They are not even locking up anybody. People shooting day and night, day and night, broad daylight men are shooting and nobody is getting locked up…In a little country like ours. You have got to be kidding me. They have a police force and they have their army. The army men up there playing dominoes in a crisis like ours; two people found dead with bullet wounds. You mean to say nobody saw a getaway car going left or right? No suspects?
“Can you imagine a country as small as St. Kitts, every week there is a murder and we can’t find who is doing it? This is a two by two country. This country isn’t even as big as the Bronx in New York, and the Bronx doesn’t have a murder every day. And you have murders every week. Somebody shoot somebody, attempt to murder them or murder them, and you are not apprehending one shooter?”
Archibald provided comment on Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Douglas’ repeated rejection of any responsibility by the government for crime, noting that by doing so the government has lost its integrity.
“Right away they have lost credibility by disavowing their responsibility. How can you not be responsible for crime and people are paying you to keep law and order? That is the government’s first job. The government’s first job is to maintain law and order in the order. All the other things they do like run post offices and so on, they are on the side. The government’s first responsibility to our nation is to maintain peace and stability.”
The historian is adamant that the government continues to shirk its responsibilities in respect of ensuring there is law and order in the land. He suggests that since ‘talk’ is doing to nothing to encourage the government to take assume responsibility, the citizens could peacefully force them to do so.
“You are a citizen of this country and your government is not taking the blame for crime and you can’t sleep well in the night, what are you suppose to do? You have to put pressure on the government to lead. We could march down (by) Government Headquarters a day every week, put pressure on them, embarrass them. We have to get people to care. A peaceful protest is all the people can do…shut down the town. Let us close down the town for a week.
“I suggest that the Ministers resign, but in our country you don’t get them to resign so easily. So I believe the opposition is going to have to move a vote of no confidence in the House. You are supposed to have a majority but do it whether you are going to win the vote or not. A vote of no confidence will send an echo around the place and it will warn people, even supporters of the Labour Party that things are not right. There are a lot of supporters in the Labour Party who would like Douglas to change. They are afraid of him, so by launching a demonstration it will give them courage.”
