WE HAVE LOST OUR WAY

Sep 25, 2017 Editorial

Despite the police statistics that show that serious crime has reduced in 2017 compared to 2016, the recent spate of armed robbery and violence throughout the country has brought into focus the changing face of our society. Crime is no new phenomenon in the country, but the volume and rate of gun-related crimes and the savagery of some of these attacks speaks to a country that has seemingly lost its way.
It should be noted that many do not believe the police statistics that the crime rate is down. And although the statistics are of specific crime classifications, the public perception is all crimes are lumped together and those overall figures determine whether crime has increased or decreased. Whether it is armed robbery, murder or misdemeanor offences, the fact of the matter is that nothing has stained our society more that the senseless and brutal slayings of citizens.
Today, we are living in a society in which we have abandoned most of the things that have worked for our parents and the country. The values and traditions that our parents cherished were part of the fabric that has made Guyana what it was. However, they have been discarded because they are now considered too old-fashioned for the modern era. We had an education system that was second to none in the Caribbean and we held it to the world. We had competent people with skills and talents who have conducted the affairs of the state efficiently.
Our parents have fashioned a society, and even though it was not perfect, black-outs were sporadic potable water was plentiful, crime was infrequent and was not as barbaric as today’s. It was unthinkable to have hundreds of homeless persons sleeping on pavements, and it was unusual to see young children either begging or selling in the streets. And parents did not leave parenting to teachers.
Today, we are unable to think and make decisions for ourselves. We have relied on foreigners to tell us how to reform the prison system, reduce crime, solve corruption, how to tackle illegal drugs and to tell us the reasons for juvenile delinquency. Very soon, we may ask foreigners to tell us how to breathe or when and how to eat and sleep. This dependence on foreign intellectuals has created uncertainty and laziness that is stifling the progress of the country. Since taking office more than two years ago, the government has been very slow to act. Progress has been very slow. The government has done very little to improve the judiciary which is very poor at rendering justice to the people, the education system which is failing students and the public hospitals where infant mortality remains high and people are still dying from simple illnesses. The government has turned a blind eye on UG which is cash-strapped and is in shambles due to mismanagement, inept policies and poor leadership.
Graft, corruption, greed, arrogance and unscrupulous behavior are common among public officials. Whether it is the awarding of contracts for monetary kickbacks or doing a favor for someone for a bribe, these officials are in a never-ending cycle of depraved conduct. Like their predecessors, many are involved in the get-rich scheme and have placed their interest ahead of the country’s interests. They have not fulfilled their campaign promise to be honest, transparent and accountable to the people. They seem oblivious to the fact that there is a connection between criminality and the lack of education and poverty.
We have abandoned the traditional up-bringing of children, yet we complain about the wayward behavior of our youths, not realizing that the lines of demarcation between them and adults have become blurred. As adults, we have not been good role models to our youths. And if we do not change our attitude, and if we fail to demonstrate that we are a people in our own right capable of ruling ourselves, be masters in our own country and architects of our own destiny, then we have lost our way.

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