What is the purpose of camouflage law?

Can any of the legal luminaries in Trinidad and Tobago explain the purpose of having a law that prevents citizens from wearing camouflage clothing in Trinidad and Tobago? Both the UK and USA are countries that have vast military histories, have both engaged in World Wars and have active military operations currently across the globe, yet their citizens are free to wear camouflage clothing, while in Trinidad and Tobago, a country whose regiment has never fought an external threat, citizens are prohibited from wearing camouflage clothing. Why?

I have heard that its to prevent criminals from impersonating a soldier. That has to be the most stupid justification I have ever heard. What does it matter whether criminals impersonate a soldier or not? Furthermore why would any criminal want to impersonate a soldier unless they're completely stupid as they would stand out? Soldiers have no authority to arrest or question civilians outside an SOE. Even if God forbid the current Defense Amendment Bill is passed the soldiers will still have to be accompanied by a police officer if they are to make an arrest. So why would any citizen who has at least 5% knowledge of what his rights are entertain interacting with any batch of soldiers outside an SOE? If I hear a knock on my door at 1 am and I look out the window and see a batch of soldiers and no police officers, it does not matter whether they are bandits dressed as soldiers or real soldiers, I am calling the police!! Furthermore how does preventing citizens from wearing camouflage prevent rogue soldiers from renting out their uniforms as occurs under the existing law? 

Many times soldiers wear a green or red t-shirt, I'm surprised they have not banned us from wearing those too, the law is that stupid! Please, would our legislators use some initiative and relegate that stupid camouflage law to the obsolete bin? I think it is totally embarrassing to be living in a country where a 10 month old baby can be denuded in our airport by customs officials for wearing a camouflage pants with a teddy bear on it. I mean what was this 10 month old baby to do, impersonate a soldier and go put down a robbery on a nestles van? It is interesting that this is the same Customs which allowed large sums of US currency to be brought into this country undetected by certain individuals in the international football arena, Customs please get your priorities in order! Legislators please let commonsense reign!

Creating Opportunity

Being interviewed by TV6 news on Carnival Monday Acting Police Commissioner James Philbert lamented the fact that citizens of this democratic country were not taking the advice of the police with regards the wearing of jewellery. He went on to state that the police specifically told citizens to not come into the city wearing their jewellery as this would create ‘opportunities’ for criminals. At flittering consideration Mr. Philbert’s recommendation might seem practical and therefore we may be quick to say ‘it good for dem’ should anyone be robbed of their gold chain on Carnival Monday or Tuesday, however that would be a fatal mistake and gross perversion of our democratic freedoms.

As citizens living in a democratic country it is our fundamental right to purchase and wear jewellery and other luxuries when and wherever we choose without having the fear or concern of creating opportunities for criminals. When a Police Commissioner could come on national television and make such empty statements it makes citizens feel more insecure, legitimizes criminal activity and holds the victim of a crime accountable for someone else’s callous actions.

If we are to go by Mr. Philbert’s logic then I can only conclude some of the following:-

•Pretty soon the police will be issuing travel advisories to tourists telling them to stay away from Trinidad & Tobago as their presence would create an opportunity for criminals.

•Citizens will be told not to drive into the city with their vehicles as this would create an opportunity for the criminals to steal them.

•Citizens will be told not to buy houses as this would create an opportunity for criminals to break into them.

•Citizens will be told not to wear nice clothes as this would give the impression that they have money and create the opportunity for criminals to rob them.

The point I am making is there will always be ‘opportunity’ for criminal minds. Truth be told, the successful lives of ordinary working class people in this country is by itself a lucrative opportunity for criminal minds who prefer not to work but instead choose to live off of hard working law abiding citizens. Criminals are committed to being the human parasites going so far as to killing their victims for their property. If one were to consider the vast majority of murders in 2009 not many of the victims were adorned in lavish gold jewellery and many were killed in their homes. I think the Commissioner’s time would be better spent on improving the efficacy of his men and enhancing the disgustingly low detection rate of the rubble he presides over known as the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service.

Mr. Philbert’s unfortunate statement is a just reflection of the dismal intellect emanating from the underperforming craniums of those charged with the responsibility of governing this country whose ideas and thought processes are completely void of any modernity. As far as they are concerned everything that goes wrong in this country is the citizen’s fault. The only solution now is for us as a nation to ‘create the opportunity’ for political and social innovation by removing the old political guards who are determined to keep us entrapped in a vacuum of mediocrity and psychological underdevelopment.