“No one should be invading your home” The Government is moving forward with Stand Your Ground legislation AND the granting of legal firearms to law abiding citizens; giving them the opportunity to defend themselves, their families and their property.
The protection of citizens is the first job of any government.
According to Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, the nation’s leaders failed for the past decade at accomplishing this…She said, her government believes that by allowing citizens to stand their ground and acquire legal firearms it will help to give them a fighting chance against home invasions and improving their overall safety and security.
She noted that a committee has been established to look at various stand your ground models across the world, in particular the Florida model.
“In the interim we are just trying to give people the means to themselves to stand their ground and for a few minutes sometimes it will take until help arrives from the TTPS or otherwise.”
The Prime Minister acknowledged the views of some who are against the government’s plan, however those who want to defend their families should be given the right to do so.
“I ask you to just envisage and imagine some criminal beating the life out of your husband or your wife, raping your daughter, what would you do? what would you do? you will have to stand your ground and defend your family.”
Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander recreated a possible scenario and the trauma a family may experience when being victims of a home invasion.
“Just imagine there was no light here and you lie down in your bed comfortable at night….where the money, where is the jewellery.”
Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar also explained that National Security is too big for any one person, therefore its crime fighting initiative has been reconfigured to comprise of three ministries including the Ministry of Justice, Legal Affairs and Homeland Security.