Don’t blame it on the children

Nov 29, 2008 Letters

Dear Editor,
On Thursday November 13 I attended a meeting at the Linden Foundation School, at which Parents/guardians were hurriedly summoned by the school’s authority to address the serious and dangerous issue of lighting squibs, fire crackers, and other such types.

I had gone to the school for a meeting of quite a different nature but upon arrival was told that there were a naughty set of children who were engaging in lighting squibs/fire crackers during the school period, but it became very alarming and intolerable when one of the devices was thrown into a-room where the teachers were meeting.

Thus not only the parents/guardian were summoned, but also the Regional Chairman and senior ranks from the Police Force, where, as I observed, six male students were fingered as the likely ones responsible for such acts and were placed in a police vehicle and taken to the station. Mr. Editor, I am equally as eager as any other for these dangerous incendiary devices to be done away forthwith.

For far too long they have been allowed to disturb and pester the lives of many. We have seen the many damages done by the stupid and reckless throwing of these things in crowds; lost of sight, blown off fingers, some falling in the bosom of women, the back of a man was damaged, babies, young and elderly “jumping out of their skin.”

I was told of someone who died from one explosion: what more do we need to see? But one reason why we as a people (from top to bottom) have become reactive rather than pro-active is simply because we have grown extremely insensitive to the concern of each other. We give not a toss about what befalls another, until we ourselves become victims.

Too often whenever something dreadful happens, we experience a deafening silence from sections of society that have not been affected.

The recent attack, squib throwing at the Mandir in Alexander Village during the Diwali celebration is a case in point; something has got to be radically wrong within the ministry of Home Affairs and the Police department to know that this form of desecration has been going on for ten years!!

When by our silence (except for a few) we lend support to the unholy acts, then, it is only a matter of time before they visit us and while I’m not in the least way defending what has occurred at the Linden Foundation school, we need to understand that what took place there is only a microcosm of the larger society that we are experiencing everyday.

We cause our children to adore and crave all the repulsive things that we encourage in our society by blindly imitating foreign culture.

I am reminded of the song “Don’t blame it on the children” that is played repeatedly on NCN Radio, that we all should pay attention to, but I’m willing to bet “pennies to pins” that over 90% of our teachers don’t listen to radio, period! The “thunder squibs” and fire crackers are first and foremost banned products that are coming from across our borders, and they are sold openly all about, to anyone.

They are exploding everyday now (being Christmas season) and in the presence of the police, like other dangerous illegal drugs, the police know where they are sold, how dare we place the blame squarely on the students?

Isn’t this absurd?? We are straining a fly out of the drink while swallowing a camel. Our children reflects our society, we adults too are most times wittingly or unwittingly guilty.

We need to stand and speak out when we perceive something as a potential danger before it is too late.
The police too who took those six boys to the station must know that they too are a part of the guilt and indiscipline.

How does the police feel the community thinks of them when they see a particular police officer who drives around in a 4 x 4 vehicle black as tar and playing loud music that can match the sounds of those explosive (bombs) in full view of senior officers – in and out of the station and nothing is done even though it was pointed out before, even as there is a campaign on loud music in mini – buses. This is a hell of a country we are living in.

To Ms. Doreen De Caires, her family, the Editor and staff of Stabroek News, kindly accept my condolences at the passing of your husband and Editor in Chief Mr. David De Caires.
Frank Fyffe

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Don’t blame it on the children

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