Guest Opinion: How did we lose it?
Guest Opinion – author has requested to remain anonymous
Let’s be real. Crime is never going to stop. It is an insidious evil that plagues the world, since the early existence of Cain and Abel. However in these territories that we refer to as the America’s Paradise, crime and violence have gotten out of control. Gone are the days when we could go to parties and restaurants and not worry about getting shot.
Lately, teenagers and young adults commit the crimes that are occurring in our territories. Our communities fail to pass the mantra on the importance of education. Many children lack the want for an education or lack the knowing for the need of an education. As a result, they turn to criminal activities to survive because they did not get that education to find a job.
Another important factor that contribute to young people becoming offenders is they are experiencing violence as their way of life. Most of them were victims of violent or sexual assaults by adults they trusted. In addition, children mirror adult behavior in their families, neighborhoods and schools. When adults curse, steal, fight, and sell drugs, children would do the same. Some parents believe it is parenting when they loudly verbally abuse and using profanity on their 3 year old.
Many researchers assert that the rise in violent crime is founded on social conditions such as poverty, racism, unemployment and inequality. However, many people grew up in poverty but they did not turn to criminal behavior. Why is that? They had people who cared about them. Parents need to care for, show love to and be patience with their children. If your child is following the wrong crowd, send them away from the environment. If your child sneaks out at night, put bars on the windows and sleep with the house keys under your pillow. Basically, do what is necessary to protect your child from self-destruction.
As a community, our role is to help protect the children because some children do not have a caring parent or a positive role model in their lives. Organizations and programs that focus on the arts, sports, community service, economic development, education, job training, and gang and violence prevention that are in our community should be greatly supported. Also, we can start other programs or organizations such as Big Brother, Big Sister etc. As the saying goes, “the more the merrier.” In order for these territories continue to be the America’s Paradise, adults must play a positive role in children’s life. Now ask yourself, “What can I do to turn this crime situation around?”
This is a great guest opinion.
I agree with all the points mentioned. I understand the reason for the author remaining anonymous. The customary reaction of the average poster of this website is to attack the messenger. Not identifying oneself allows us to respond only to the issues.
What is missing in many homes is love. Why are people afraid to express love or even feel this emotion?
My respond to, “What can I do to turn this crime situation around?”, is to simply say let’s begin a campaign of random acts of kindness. I often give a dollar to the guys at the garbage dump for assisting me with unloading my garbage from the car. I wonder, though, if they are spending the money on food or drugs.I suggest we start to volunteer our services, instead of just giving our money to the bums or homeless.
If you are looking to get recognition for contributing to a charity, you are missing the point. Simply do something nice and do not expect a media fanfare or a reward for your effort. Be a secret Santa and drop off canned goods to shelters or on the steps of churches with a note for the parishioners to serve the goods to the needy. That brings me to the role of the churches. What’s their function?
Shouldn’t the churches take a more active role in teaching the young people how to take the path of righteousness? I will not contribute my hard-earned dollars to any church unless I see a church getting more involve in positively influencing young people.
Lord help us, is this really Verdel saying “The customary reaction of the average poster of this website is to attack the messenger.”
Well Verdel if you really meant what you said we all should see a sharp decrease in the messenger being attacked on CIF.
Let’s keep hope alive… We will see what happens next…
Answering the question “how did we lose it?” is easy.
You lose ‘it’ when you stop paying attention. A quick search on the internet under root causes of crime repeatedly points to poor parenting skills. It is said that children neglected or abused commit substantially more crime later in life than others.
So ‘it’ was lost right there.
The question now becomes, why did we lose it?
Employing reliable root cause analysis techniques to find the answer could help. But you’ll have to dig deep. Keep asking, why?
Later comes the fun part.
After we learn the ‘why’, we’ll have to figure out what to do now.
But ‘why’ will tell us ‘how’ to do the ‘what’.
There are no quick and easy fixes. No senators to call, no politicians to vote in or out, no martial law, no posses’, no Feds riding in on white ponies… it’s just us chickens…
BFS,
Here is Gov de Jongh quick fix response. He sends his AG, yes AG, with the “Book Mobile”, to start a pilot program at the prison. Shouldn’t the AG be pursuing the Governor, the senate bandits, and himself for public corruption rather than hanging around the prison grounds for a photo opportunity?
This is very sickening and disgraceful.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/governordejongh/3367809563/
The mood swings on this forum are just fascinating.
Heart, yes the mood of the forum has changed and about to swing into high gear. This is going to be even more fascinating.
Ayo see them Caucasians yesterday with their signs waving against violence at pueblo? Rather interesting.
Stella – what was so interesting about it?
STella~ How come you didn’t join them? Are you FOR violence?
No, Just haven’t seen them so proactive before. Why now????
What do you think, Stella? What are your thoughts on this?
We lost it when we started working 2 and 3 jobs so we could give our children designer sneakers instead of our attention.We lost it when instead of discipline and structure we gave our children the keys to the house and McDonald’s for dinner so we could work overtime. We lost it when money became more important then our self respect. We lost it when we began to covet what our neighbor had instead of being grateful for what we were blessed with. I could go on but most of it revolves around Money and not being there to help our children with the homework.
Something must happen to combat the criminal element.
Pandora, you are right on target.
Stella: like what?
Pandora-
I can attest to exactly what you are saying and you are correct. I will use my own experience to explained:Early in the 60′s I had a very good job ( including a good salary. after about 7 years on that job I was offered a part-time job. My mind said to me you don’t really need the job all is well with you. I took the job and after about six months my son who was attending one of the elementary school say to me ” ma, we don’t get to see you at all anymore, only when we are going to school in the morning” That was my wake up call
they same night when I went to work I told my boss what had happened and I was leaving.
I say that to simple say some of us wANT to make all the money meanwhile our children are begging for someone to say to them how was your day? What did you do in school today? With the younger ones whAt did you eat in school today?
When we as parent get to a certain age we need to realize that the parting has to stop! be at home for when your children comes home so that you can see what and who they are bringing home. Because whether we want to admit it or not those of you who have three and four jobs your children knows when to expect you home so they do their thing before you get home.
We as parents need to stay in tune with the children listen to their tpye of music and have fun with them. It just not cool to have the parents and children in the same night club.
Be there so that If and when they have a problem or concern you can spot it right away and most of all WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOUR TOLD HER CHILDREN I LOVE YOU.
Well said, June.
And it all weaves back to the very start of these postings. Once we as parents stop paying attention to our children, our kids will start paying attention to something else. Usually something that’s bad for them and bad for us.
Stella~ I think it is happening now because 1. the pot is coming to a boil and people are beginning to be fed up and 2. the people who organized this event were shocked that there was a murder of someone they knew in a restaurant they frequent and it got too close for comfort.
I’m pretty new here, but where I came from we left our doors unlocked, watched out for our neighbors, watched out for our neighbors kids, brought food, clothing and furniture when our neighbor’s house burned. Here I am shocked at the self-centeredness I see, the greed, the corruption in government, the trash all over, the lousy work ethic, the poor customer service. There are many great things about the VI and I love it here. I ache for this place to become the pearl of the Caribbean that it could and should be. So any time anyone does something positive…even as silly as a human chain, I’ll support it.
Mr. Peter Abbott,
If you haven’t done so already…
Cruise on over to http://www.stcroixsource.com and look for the article by Frank Schneiger entitled, “Is History a Good Thing?” (Part I).
Stella, what are you going to do or want to see get done to combat the criminal element?
Charles, Stella isn’t available right now. Can you let us know what you would do to combat the criminal element?