The leader of the political opposition in the Caribbean island nation of Trinidad and Tobago is pushing for the rights of citizens to defend themselves with arms. As part of her campaign, she is supporting the rights of citizens to stand their ground and to keep and carry firearms for defense of themselves and others.

Trinidad and Tobago is a small nation just off the coast of Venezuela. As Venezuela has descended into a dysfunctional society created by a Leftist government, refugees and criminal gangs are creating significant problems in Trinidad and Tobago.

Kamla Persad-Bessessar is the opposition leader in the government of Trinidad and Tobago. She is the leader of the United National Congress party, a mother, and has supported citizens’ rights to defend themselves against criminals in the past. Kamla Persad-Bessessar gave a speech on January 6th, 2025. From newsday.co.tt:

She then recommitted herself to bringing stand-your-ground laws, as well as legislation on the right to bear arms to give citizens a fighting chance against criminals.

Stand-your-ground laws allow people to use deadly force in certain situations to defend themselves against violent crimes. There was widespread public debate on this when the party first proposed the measure.

In her almost-hour-long speech, Persad-Bissessar said, “I was told only yesterday morning, in addition to the prosecutors not wanting to go to work because of the fear, they are now being told that certain judicial officers are under threat from criminal elements.”…

On Hector’s murder, she said criminals were in charge, despite this government’s claim to the contrary.

“A UNC government will tackle this decay and stand firm against the criminals,” she said.

The example of the United States and the Second Amendment are having an effect on other countries. The claims of those who want a disarmed society have been shown to be false. Disarming the law-abiding population does not reduce murder rates. Similarly, disarming the law-abiding population does not reduce suicide rates.

Disarming people who obey the laws means those who are physically weaker, such as women and the elderly, or people facing hostile groups, have no effective way to defend themselves.  As society is controlled by armed people, either in the government or in armed gangs (it is often difficult to tell the difference) those who are unarmed become easy victims. This is the message Kamla Persad-Bessessar is spreading with her speeches.

A government shows trust in the people it governs by trusting them with weapons, as the United States has done with the Second Amendment.  Some governments in the United States have  shown they did not trust:

• Residents who sided with the British monarchy over the new revolutionary government.
• Indian tribes which where sovereign nations, thus without obligation or loyalty to the United States.
• Slaves, who were not citizens and who had reason to rebel against their legal status.
• After the War between the States (Civil War), freed slaves, and black people in general.
• The vast majority of the American people, from 1968 – 2008.

During the Progressive era, Second Amendment rights were increasingly infringed. Restoring Second Amendment rights has been in progress for roughly 40 years, accelerating in effect and scope. While American access to firearms has increased, crime rates have not. There are numerous examples of Americans defending themselves.

The claims of “safety and order” for a disarmed population have been false from the beginning. The common sense observations of Cesare Beccaria, published in 1764, have been vindicated:

False is the idea of utility that sacrifices a thousand real advantages for one imaginary or trifling inconvenience; that would take fire from men because it burns, and water because one may drown in it; that has no remedy for evils except destruction. The laws that forbid the carrying of arms are laws of such a nature. They disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes.

Cesare Beccaria’s theories had a strong influence on the founders of the United States of America and the framers of the Bill of Rights.

Leftist ideology, whether Progressive, Marxist, Fascist, or NAZI, is all based on the theory government is a benevolent force. Just put the right person/people in charge, and everything will become better. Restricting government power, in any way, is seen as absurd and an obstacle to the “good” things government can do. Opposition to the Second Amendment is in Progressive DNA. Under Leftist/Progressive ideology, ordinary people should not be allowed free access to weapons or to information. Implementation of this ideology has led to societal disasters.

Governments are made of people, and people are fallible. Good intentions do not guarantee good results. Limiting governmental power has proved to be one of the most useful political theories in mankind’s history.

About Dean Weingarten:

Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of Constitutional Carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.