Elderly and Home Alone = Certain Death

Feb 25, 2015 Letters

Dear Editor,
With activated lacrimal ducts I gazed steadfastly into the faces of the seven “home alone victims”, at the selfsame time battling swirling thoughts hovering around the abysmal depth to which my once beloved country has sunk. Call it sennicide, geronticide, senilicide, eldercide, whichever side one prefers to view it from, this newbreed of crime cries out for urgent attention to prevent its spread.
Whatever cases are reported in print media, it does not depict the real scenario of the entire problem. Homicide generates intense emotional reaction in the popular press, particularly when it involves elderly individuals.
Violence is a universal scourge that tears at the fabric of communities and threatens the life, health and happiness of us all. Putting it bluntly, this is a darn serious situation affecting the whole society and need social and Police actions in order for the elderly to live fear-free. The trend of an aging population, along with its accompanying issues has been witnessed throughout the entire world, being a phenomenon that is universal and irreversible.
Currently, in the Guyanese society the state of aging has now been intermingled with phasing causing the elderly to become far too easy targets for criminals. Whether living alone or going about daily lives the elderly are viewed as helpless and easy victims, a shameful way for them to have to live their lives.
Are we then to believe that for the elderly to be safe they must barricade themselves behind barred, burglar-proof locked doors, with security windows, or become an instant victim just by going out to the grocery store or even walking in their own yard or neighborhood? Why suddenly have they become the targets for grievous hurt, robbery, murder and even sexual assault? Although, elders consider their home the secure place, this is the place where a large number of the murders occur.
Perhaps as I write, there are many elderly women who are afraid of going to bed, merely due to the underlying fear that they may be the next victim.
Action to relieve the plight of the elderly(at least those that are still alive) is long overdue. The deceased have all paid their debt to society and sadly in their declining years have become the reapers of the ignominy of a truly hostile state of the nation. We cannot adopt a laissez-faire attitude, nor must we allow the continuance of this sad state of affairs.
Nevertheless, in so doing, it serves to remind us that safety and security don’t just happen, but are the result of collective consensus and public investment. Violence proliferates in the absence of displayed democracy, lack of respect for individual and collective human rights and good governance.
The government of Guyana and by extension, the judicial system, owes the elderly– the most vulnerable citizens in any society – a life free from violence and fear. In order to ensure this, they must be tireless in their efforts not only to attain a cessation of the violenceand justicebut execute swift and indelibly harsh prison terms or even death by hanging to the accused.
With the specter of election or defection looming on the horizon, an opportunity has arisen for the issue to be brought to the forefront.
The need to keep the elderly safe with “ Get tough on Crime” Quadruple the Time” or Let the killers die Hang them High” is totally supported by both statistical evidence and ratio of unsolved murders.
In view of the latter –mentioned dismal success instead of tackling crime the Police need to strengthen its policies for ¯preventing crime, and instead generate corresponding funds towards building healthier and safer communities. On one hand while solitary living can be great fun, it does have its drawback.
The fact should not be overlooked that in some instances the children of the deceased had offered the parent residence in their home, almost as if they had a foreboding of danger.
Yvonne Sam

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