#BTColumn – Open letter to AG and GG

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by this author are their own and do not represent the official position of the Barbados Today. 

by Margaret D. Gill

Sir and Madam:

Your government wants to introduce new computer chip national identity with fingerprinting and you offer as reasons that the past government was going to do it and the card will now be secure!

As reasons those insult intelligence.

The past administration was put OUT because people did not like things they were doing. Your administration got an overwhelming yes because you offered the possibility of something new. But now you hark back for a Pavlovian reaction of party politics! Mr. Attorney General, you can do better than that.

And we are now to believe that the present National Identity card which was used to put your party overwhelmingly into one party status was an insecure ID! That is an egregious offering for a reason.

Mr. Attorney General, imagine your audience is not foolish. Imagine that the education we all got deserves better reasons for such a change at such a time as this.

in the midst of palpable fear of chip technology that was threatening to derail a healthy public health response to the pandemic you introduce THIS identity management bill with these silly excuses? And the opposition that set itself up when a party member defected says it boycotts the debate because it has not been given adequate time to read this bill? You exhibit a callousness here that leaves me breathless.

I am appalled at this insult to the intelligence of the population. The refusal to credit people’s legitimate fears shows lack of care.

Governor General, please make an intervention to belay my sense of being beleaguered by this move. This government can pass this bill. It has the power of the vote that gave them parliament.