Addressing Juvenile Delinquency
Guest Opinion by J. J. Estemac
We are finally in the beginning of another year of the twenty first century, the year 2008. It could be an auspicious year for this territory of the United States of America, providing we the people of these Virgin Islands assume fully the responsibility that is ours. That of taking control of our government and accepting responsibility for its failures. If we would only expect more from our leadership, from our elected and appointed public servants we would be further on our way to improving our lot. The Virgin Islands like so many places in the world, including the continental USA, is going through some trying times. Our society seems to be decaying from within but we are looking for causes from without. The adults of our society are failing our youth as they are failing themselves. We have seek and apply solutions, neither lamenting or complaining is going to change anything for the better, but collective effort will.
There have been steady increases in violent crimes, particularly amongst our young males, who are killing each other. They seem to have lost respect for life, including their own. I am no psychologist, neither am I a sociologist but these are signs of a decadent society, when we consider the earlier moral climate of this society. The adults are failing to carry out their moral responsibility to themselves and their families. There is an epidemic of irresponsible parenting. So many single parents, particular women, who continue to make bad choices in choosing a mate. As I observe the other creatures over which the humans are considered superior, in many species the female are very particular about the male that they accept as mating partners. However, that does not seem to be the case with many human females, who seems not to be discriminating in their selection of a mate or mates.
I hold the female mostly responsible for the chaos in our society. If a woman is not raped, if she consent to cohabit with a male and procreate several offspring in spite the fact that male failes to demonstrate his intentions of assuming his responsibility as a parent, that is irresponsible parenting. Now with all the choices of birth control measures available to avoid pregnancies when a woman chooses to bring into to this world, into this society a child for which she did not make any preparation nor projection into the future for that child; that is irresponsible parenting. We as a society have to stop making excuses for irresponsible parents and hold them accountable for their irresponsible behavior. These same irresponsible parents are responsible for most of the juvenile delinquents in our society. It is my view, and the law supports me on this, the adults, whether they be guardians/and or parents are to be held responsible for the anti-social and criminal behavior of minors in their custody. When the government takes over a minor from it’s parents for delinquency the parents should be required to pay for the upkeep of the minor to the degree they are financially able.
Irresponsible parents should not only be held liable civilly but criminally as well. By holding irresponsible parents liable criminally, they would make a better effort to guide and protect the minors in their custody. Parents should not be afraid to correct their children; neither should teachers or other adults in the society. Those parents that allow their children to get out of control, that allow their children to develop anti social and criminal behavior are responsible before God and society. When a juvenile is arrested for criminal behavior the parents should also be charged with contributing to the delinquency of the minor, according to law. Parents are duty bound to report to the appropriate authorities when they are having difficulties with their minor children and solicit help from the authorities (Department of Human Services). If the parents fail to seek assistance in guiding their minor children, in developing appropriate social behavior, they are to be held responsible for the delinquency of their children. The court should then apply the appropriate sanctions to these delinquent parents as well as assume the control of the minors.
Personally, I subscribe to corporal punishment both for juveniles delinquents and for adult delinquents. I also subscribe to capital punishment for heinous crimes and for first-degree murder where there is no doubt in the guilt of the accused. I also subscribe to the aspiration for reforming certain delinquents but I also recognize that there are certain delinquents that are incorrigible. We should treat each delinquent according to his or her individual profile and the crimes they have committed, when we are adjudicating punishment. Society should not be strapped with the burden of taking care of anti social individuals, of taking care of criminals when we incarcerate them. They should be required to pay their dues to society by working to pay for their room and board in prison. They should be required to serve the needs of society. I believe we need to reinstitute some of the standards that kept our society orderly in the past. Such as recognizing the stigma that anti social and criminal behavior leaves on the individual perpetrator. While forgiveness is important, it should be a result of true repentance of the delinquent and not given gratuitously.
This is our society, it is our government, and we have the duty and responsibility of promoting the welfare of our society. Under our democratic system of government, we are supposed to be in control of our government. If we fail to assume our responsibility as citizens then we have no one to blame but ourselves for the state of our government, of our society. In most progressive communities, the host population takes pride in preserving their standard. They ensure that all newcomers learn and abide by the laws of their community. I understand that the lack of pride and true civic spirit could be the cause of the present state of chaos in our community. However, I also believe we can change this condition and improve the quality of life in these beautiful Virgin Islands. We together can work to ensure the rule of law and justice for all. That should be the standard practice in these Virgin Islands. Do you think you are capable of joining with others to achieve these noble objectives? Do you think we deserve better government? Are you willing to work for a better community where respect for self and others, where charity and benevolence is common? If you believe you can, that we together can, let us do it.
J. J. Estemac
CCBG
St. Thomas, VI
J.J. Estemac, I take exception to the statement:”I hold the female mostly responsible for the chaos in our society.”It sounds chauvinistic. I bet you believe that Eve is solely responsible for the eternal condemnation of mankind. What is accomplished by blaming a segment of society for all of our woes? The youths learn intolerance & bullying by getting corporal punishment from those who are bigger and stronger. Review the Ten Commandments;advocate love and discipline instead of harsh punishment. Be part of the solution. Offer guidance to troubled youths; be a positive role model. Killing them just sends the message that their lives are less valuable than others.
It sounds harsh, but women do play the major role in procreation and need to understand the responsibility associated with it. Laws can be developed to take effect in 10 years that can make careless reproduction a criminal offense. We need to go there. It is time.
Before we sterilize women and toss our bad kids and their unfit parents in prison when we don’t have prison space, we need ask the driving question: How did we get here in the first place? Because once we know the causes, we should identify solutions. Remember the policy of our ancestors? It went like this, It takes a village to raise a child.
How many of us in the community will reach out to that teen mother struggling to raise boys into men. Do we say any longer, I would like to take your child with me to church on Sunday, or Is it OK if I took your son to little league with my son. Or do we look down our noses and say nothing good wiil come out of that family. Most adults who were able to overcome at-risk homes or troubled teen years would tell you that it was a concerned family member or someone in the community who gave the time to show them that there were opportunities and better years ahead for them.
And it doesn’t take any federal grant to touch one child at a time. Maybe you will not be financially compensated or recognized at phony luncheon, but the child you turn around may be one less juvenille in our community. Maybe we need to start thinking as a village. God knows we are small enough.
I challange you, the reader, to look around you and touch that child who may be at-risk, help a child with homework, sell the message of the importance of education, offer spiritual food to spiritually deprived home, or teach a child to read or to love reading. And I challenge the federal grant program managers to do what you intended to do – save our youths.
And while we salvaging our troubled youths, tell the men in our community that little girls and boys are not placed here for their sexual gratification- a profound and ignored cause of many single, jobless mothers and angry young men.
Love thyself, love thy brother and sister.
It’s obvious that change is needed and it’s not going to take a Federal Grant nor Loan or budget of any kind to do so. I departed from St. Croix at the age of 16 and since have been visiting on and off and I can’t understand how is it that I can live in Crazy Ass New York City and not hear as many gun shots as when I visit my Little Island Paradise. The funny thing is if you hear a gun shot today in NYC it’s a cop shooting and innocent black man.
I know I’m saying nothing new when I mentioned that this is a problem in need of serious solving within the USVI, but as long as the foundation is not stable be it at home, educational system, jobs, local government etc shit will always drop.
I spoke with some local officers on my last visit home and they mentioned that when parents and those who are sworn in to protect and serve the community aren’t doing their jobs it just makes for a bad environment.
Solution! While it’s clear as day to see we’ve lost a generation or two, we’re going to have to start with the very young and have them understand that we are Kings and Queens and not shottas (gangsters) and dancehall divas. Instill morals and values, love and respect for your fellow man/woman. We need a community based grassroots movement based on and I stress Love and Respect in order to unite our beautiful Caribbean People and restore the quality of life we so deserve.
And as for those who are hustling for titles, positions and pensions be it Government, CEO of a private company (Blah! Blah! Blah!) or any one of influence we have to get up in their face as a community and inform them that we will not tolerate no BS!
You are so right young but wise. But how all of a sudden are we to expect that present day teens can learn to respect the creation of life. And can’t we begin by teaching our youngsters (elementary) that when they are grown up, if they want to be gangsta’s and diva and make babies that they will have their freedom taken away and be subjected to a life of parenting classes? If the message is loud and clear and reinforced by all the institutions of this society, there would probably be very few juvenile deliquents and teen parents twenty years from now. We can reverse the decline in the quality of our collective lives for our grandchildren or great grand children at least.
Finally! A few words of true wisdom. Parents have been the problem and continue to be the problem.
Parenting is the most important job in the world and too many people do not take it seriously.
But blaming women only doesn’t cut it. What about all de man dem spreadin’ dem seed with any woman who’ll say “yes”, and all too often those who won’t?
Shortsightedness is the disease. Having children is expensive. Financially and emotionally. They are not just little decorations that we leave to themselves when they aren’t cute anymore. It’s an 18 plus year commitment.
I have seen women at the supermarkets with little ones in the cart. When I used to bring my little one anywhere, I’d bring a few little toys to keep her occupied (and I’d talk to her and play with her) while we shopped. I am always appalled to see tiny ones getting smacked for wanting to touch things in stores. Kids learn by touching things and being conversed with. If a child reaches for something inappropriate in a store or wherever, s/he should be distracted, in a loving way, by something more appropriate.
It’s called being a responsible parent. I had one child. That’s all I had the emotional energy for, because I took my job as a parent more seriously than any other job I have ever had.
I completely agree withthe author’s statement that females are completely at fault. If these women set standards for themselves and proclaim that they will not give any man the time of day unless he has a reasonable level of education (doesn’t have to be Harvard, haha), and knows how to wear pants without them dragging at his knees, men will QUICKLY adapt. V.I. Women are hungry for thugs and killers. Women in the U.S. (from my experience) do not behave in this manner. Now we can proudly look around and say that that violence is at astronomical levels and kids are killing each other nonchalantly. Wisen up women! When you, do, the ignoramuses will follow!