By: Paul Sarran
July 29, 2025
As a young, upcoming political scientist deeply concerned about the state of our nation, I stand in full support of Senior Counsel Anand Ramlogan and the proposed ‘Stand Your Ground’ legislation. Trinidad and Tobago is in crisis. Law-abiding citizens especially our senior citizens who toiled for decades to build a healthy, peaceful society are now forced to live in fear behind burglar bars and security cameras. The country is under siege, not just by violent criminals, but by a justice system that too often punishes victims for defending themselves. It’s time for that to change.
Anand Ramlogan has rightly called for a shift in our legal landscape. His advocacy for this legislation is not just legal commentary it’s a bold and necessary step towards social justice and national recovery. His words at the public consultation in Fyzabad were not just powerful they were true. Too many people in this country feel helpless and unprotected, and too often the law is on the side of the criminals rather than the law-abiding citizens. That must stop now.
Let me be clear the law, as it currently stands, places an unfair burden on victims of home invasions. If someone enters your home, your private space, and you choose to defend yourself or your family, you, the victim, must then prove you didn’t use “excessive” force. This is the absurd reality in which our people live. The question must be asked: when faced with armed intruders, what is “reasonable force”? Should a mother really be expected to pause, weigh legal consequences, and calculate force while her child is in danger? That is not justice. That is cruelty disguised as law.
Ramlogan’s use of the U.S. example is not just relevant it is essential. Many of the same critics of this proposed legislation take comfort in the safety of American cities like Miami and Orlando, where laws like ‘Stand Your Ground’ exist. They flock to Florida, a state where homeowners are not legally obligated to retreat when faced with a threat. If they are truly against such laws, then as Ramlogan challenged, they should hand back their U.S. visas and stop glorifying the same legal protections they deny our own people.
Let us be honest this is not about promoting violence. It’s about empowering our citizens with the right to live without fear. Ramlogan made it clear that the legislation would still require proportionality. It is not a free-for-all. It is not a licence to act irresponsibly. What it does is affirm the basic right of homeowners to defend their homes, families, and lives without being re-victimised by the law.
We cannot continue to allow our elderly those who built this country from the ground up to feel unsafe in their final years. They deserve peace of mind. They deserve dignity. They deserve protection. And as a young Trinidadian, I refuse to accept that we should continue living under a system that fails them and fails us.
Ramlogan’s example of the Chaguanas mother who used her husband’s licensed firearm to stop a home invader is a perfect case study. Instead of being celebrated for protecting her child, she was made to wait for months in anxiety and fear of being charged. That is not justice. That is punishment for surviving. That woman should have received a medal, not a legal threat. Ramlogan is right that moment exposed the rot in our justice system. A system where the innocent are questioned and the guilty roam free.
As an aspiring political scientist, I also see the bigger picture. What Ramlogan is proposing is not just a change in law it’s a catalyst for social transformation. The psychological effect of knowing that citizens have the right to protect themselves can serve as a major deterrent to crime. Bandits will think twice if they know that homeowners are not legally required to retreat or be afraid of legal backlash.
And let’s not miss the political brilliance of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s support for both this legislation and a potential firearms rights review. These are bold decisions rooted in the urgent realities our people face every day. Ramlogan called it “pure political genius,” and I agree. It is precisely this kind of fearless, unapologetic leadership that our country needs leadership that listens, understands, and acts decisively in the interest of the people.
This is not about guns. It is not about revenge. It is about balance. It is about justice. It is about protecting the right of citizens to feel safe in their homes. That is a right no government should ever take lightly.
As young people, we cannot afford to remain silent. The future of this nation is ours to inherit and right now, that future is in danger. We must support those who are brave enough to challenge the system and bring forth ideas that may be uncomfortable but necessary.
Anand Ramlogan is one of those people. He speaks with passion, but also with reason. He calls out hypocrisy and stands up for those who are too afraid or too disillusioned to speak. I may be young, but I know courage when I see it. And Trinidad and Tobago needs courage now more than ever.
It’s time to take back our country. It’s time to stand our ground.
(The author successfully completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science at the University of the West Indies.)
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