The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

Our country is running a high fever. Murder, in particular, and a string of other serious crimes have come to rule the day. Inertia, associated trauma, and outright paralysis have seemingly invaded our collective consciousness, and death seems to be lurking behind every abandoned car. Guilt and shame can be seen only in our rearview mirror, while civility and morality seem to be on extended vacation; or even worse, banished. In the name of modernism, personal freedom, personal choices and the like, we have turned God’s law on its head, and now we are paying a hefty price. The chickens have indeed come home to roost!

There are any number of underlying societal issues contributing to the crime phenomenon. Teen-age pregnancy which was once frowned upon has now become the norm, and becoming a grandmother at thirty now seems like a thing of pride.

Some of our young men seem to have lost all sense of direction and self-worth because there are no fathers in many homes to teach them the do’s and don’ts of manhood. Sociologists and other experts in human behaviour have concluded that in homes where there are fathers, the chances of a young man running afoul of the law might not be totally eliminated, but they are substantially reduced or lessened, as opposed to homes without a father or a father figure. Oh, yes, I am quite aware that there are the exceptions in every situation. Matters of these kinds are not readily discussed for fear of offending this person or the next, or being attacked by one group or another, but I speak truth. I firmly believe that many of the young men in prison had no prior relationship or connection with their fathers. It takes a man to teach a boy how to become a man. Fredrick Douglas an American abolitionist put it best when he said: “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men”.

We must recapture the norms and traditions that once kept us grounded over the years. Parents should take (not send) their children to Sunday school so that they can receive proper training in Christian(not religious) doctrines and principles. Parental involvement is the glue that binds the family. Toys and electric gadgets, like cell phones, are no substitute for expressions of love and personal attention. Simply put, spend time with the children. Insists that your child responds to their elder with “yes, sir” or “yes, m’am”. Teach your child to say “good morning” of “good evening” when passing elderly persons on the streets. Tell them that words like, “I’m sorry”, are not outdated, but it takes a person with a big heart(not literally) to say them. Encourage them to ask for something and not try to take it by force, because it could lead to unnecessary confrontations. Model the behaviour; let them see you do it, because children remember what they see. Teach them that life is a gift from God, and no one has the right to take it away.

Having prayer vigils, building bigger prisons, handing down stiffer penalties, hiring more policemen, buying more police cars and other equipment, are all positive interventions which come into play after the crimes have been committed. These are the things that governments do. They are reactionary, and though they may undoubtedly have some impact, they will not in and of themselves solve the crime problem. They are akin to putting a bandaid on the cancer. We have to get to the root of the problem, which might make many of us uncomfortable.

Firstly, we have to fix the family, it’s broken. The blueprint for the family is laid out in the book of Genesis. We have strayed from God’s original law to our own detriment, and called it modernism. Amen? Secondly, we must do a better job raising our children. Until then, the blood bath in our streets will continue, and we will be left with the grim task of updating the murder count almost daily, which is already a sad commentary. Let’s get back to that old land mark, or we perish. I’m just a courier for the truth.

ZEPHANIAH BURROWS

Nassau,

January 20, 2024.