Dear Editor,
On Thursday, I wrote of “the uncomfortable truths” made obvious at the Lusignan killing grounds. They are not new; all have been repeatedly articulated and dissected over the years. After Lusignan, repeating these uncomfortable truths, as stated hereunder, a thousand times more would still not be enough.
First, any existing security blanket for the country is porous and diaphanous, for Indians it is almost nonexistent. Second, the security forces are hampered by conflicts, malaise, and interference, among many other debilitating things.
Third, confidence in the security apparatus is low to zero: for blacks, it is an instrument of state excesses; for Indians, it is not a protective shield.
Fourth, security composition continues to be a source of distrust and fear. There was the telling spectacle of villagers (Indians) berating force members (Black) for failure. Yet, these hapless citizens ignore their own failure to participate and contribute.
Next, the government stood out as an object of derision and outrage. The collateral damage of Lusignan (and elsewhere) has become the accepted price for self-preservation through maintenance of the status quo. It is clear that the government has no clue, no process and no platform from which to deliver.
Then, there is the world of guns. No one (no one!) knows how many are abroad; or their source, whether internal or external. What is feared is that most of the armaments are in the hands of citizens with murderous interests and intents. Sixth, it does not matter if phantoms exist, or whether they are government related or influenced; only that a Lusignan is available to extract bloody flesh by the pound. If State Street is out of bounds, then Main Street will be used to shoot people as they cower (or sleep) in a barrel. It is that easy and simple.
Seventh, all the extrajudicial crime fighters-departed and deported-will only further drench an already blood stained land. They were, and are, part of the problem; they cannot be part of the solution. These are some of the uncomfortable truths that face us.
In summary: no confidence, no infrastructure, no will, no result. Just ask the people at Lusignan. Or all the others that recoil and brace themselves
