Something we must fix

November 10, 2010

Dear Sir,

I think it quite likely that our young men who wield guns and fire them at people are missing a few things that others are not. Top of the list is probably respect, closely followed by a lack of the aspirations young people usually have. Hope is almost sure to be missing and it would be a good bet that there was not a consistently present caring adult involved in their lives, possibly a father who may have himself been in the same predicament in a time before guns.

If it is perceived that there is no chance of a bright future, no hope, if the largest chunk of waking hours are not spent preparing for a distant future, studying, garnering useful experience, if there is no caring person to turn to for advice that can be relied upon and if you are low on the totem pole not receiving any positive reinforcement only negative feedback. Then there may be a tendency to live fast and dangerous, both in boys/men and girls/women.

This may be a source for teen pregnancy, gun violence, disrespect for law and authority, unsociable behaviour etc.

These are deeply rooted social problems, not easily solved. Gun crime cannot be swiftly brought to an end with beefed up law enforcement. "Live by the sword and die by the sword", I've heard somewhere and I am no expert in that area, but I think those words mean putting sword to sword, meeting violence with violence results in death or at least bad injury. We probably have to look at the long term and tackle the roots of these problems.

While the Colonel is trying to keep a lid on the more violent aspects of the problem, and surely there are few more able, it really is gratifying to see that others are talking about working on the long term side.

Perhaps early childhood development could get into the conversation as it actively involves and informs parents and could take a modest few hundred thousand to complete Island-wide coverage.

More efforts at mentoring, not the rich and middle classes, but the not so rich and the poor, could be included. We went through a transition in my youth where it was no longer possible for the average household to live on one income. We've not fully replaced that lifestyle with one that works. Too much time is spent by adults outside the home with the result that much less is spent with the children and they suffer from this.

Children without paid- for nannies, or other care that their parents cannot afford, these are the ones likely to fall through the cracks. We may need to have a rethink about schools out at 3.30 while mom and dad are out at 5 p.m. After-school care for everybody, expensive yes, but cheaper than trying much later on to catch those who fell through the cracks.

Somehow we must match up children with caring adults for society to function properly.

All these are but a sop however as our greatest challenge is the great divide, no, not black white but rich poor, which makes it ok for some but miserable for others.

It is very pleasing to see that there are many areas where the government is planning to cover the bases on many of our woes and we can reasonably hope that with all the abundance of talent in and out of Cabinet and around Bermuda, adjustments will be made to cover all the right places.

DELAEY ROBINSON

St. George's