The Tribune

By Rev Angela C

Bosfield Palacious

WHEN we think of our beautiful country with its turquoise waters, we should immediately think of preservation and conservation in the midst of economic expansion and development. We have many visitors to our shores and they need to be properly instructed, as we should have been from birth, to protect that which has been entrusted to us by God.

Unfortunately for us, as with other parts of the world, there are species that have had to be classified as endangered, such as the Bahama parrot, and there are bans on fishing for turtles and sharks.

We have laws to protect our flamingoes and iguanas and there is seasonal fishing for crawfish and grouper.

The time has come, it would appear, to classify certain groups of our young people as endangered species. Too many of our boys and young men are being murdered in cold blood. How can we change the course of our history?

1. We must begin in our homes to teach our children the value of life, respect for self and others, and reverence for God.

2. We have to prepare parents for the great responsibility of nurturing children, by guiding them from when they are in primary school to understand the role of the parent, the importance of home and family life, and the call to mature judgement by all adults and young people.

3. We have to offer them a firm faith foundation and help them to come to faith for themselves as they read the Bible, attend worship, and groups for children and youth in the church.

4. We need to protect them from negative influences as much as possible by supervising their use of technology far more closely.

5. For those who have already been hurt and scarred by life, we have to work with them individually and in small groups, to listen to their stories, pray for healing, mentor with compassion, and provide opportunities for personal growth and healthy development.

6. Every effort has to be made to alert them to dangerous practices and relationships, indicating consequences of various choices, and leading them in better directions by exposing them to options with fewer risks.

7. Those already incarcerated will need the presence of trustworthy people to help them evaluate their past behavior, be assisted with behavior modification, and provided with controlled environments like half-way houses to continue in a more positive environment for at least two years.

8. We have to ensure that all children are educated to a level that will enable them to acquire a job, preparing them academically and socially for adult life.

9. Jobs need to be determined ahead of time and persons trained to fill these positions as the years go by.

10. More rewards and recognition have to be given to those who comply with rules and regulations at home, school, work and in the community. Whatever will motivate, has to help people to participate in right living until it becomes second nature and our new way of life.

You can add anything else that you think will be of assistance and modify as desired. Implementation is key, and so we all have to pray for wisdom and guidance from God to see our way clear of this societal disaster that we are courting.

We each have to take responsibility for the attitude we display, the example we set and the results we hope to attain.

Our children are our most precious and we are losing them almost daily. Let us do more to save more.