“But why she have gun playing with?” – society sits in judgement of a young woman, a victim herself of the real enemy, guns. Today, our society continues to ponder the ramifications of our young people, intentionally or not, killing one another. I invite you to venture beyond simple social media aggravations, speculations and recycled hate; to understand the implications of the simple truth, we do not manufacture guns. We have never manufactured guns. Instead, let us scrutinise the local, our education sector, our parenting styles and our economic model. Let us see how guns have assumed a culture of their own.
It is October and you can count distinct and separate truant students who share the same story. Take now the long look and ask about the parents’ whereabouts; the fathers, who are they? Putting self-righteousness aside, ask them questions. “My mother doe have money; I eh go school today” – the one answer suits the many. What do we call this? Richard Cloward, a criminal sociologist, developed a theory to define youth delinquency. “Differential Opportunity Theory” – which simply suggests that when young people do not have access to opportunities, they may turn to other groups in society which promise wealth, success, a sort of freedom. He suggests that when youth are provided with ample resources to further themselves, they are less likely to engage in delinquent behaviour.
Recently, the media has explained gun-related developments in Vieux Fort (in particular) and St. Lucia (in general), as being the result of gang activity. When our youth cannot afford simple necessities, they are entranced by other groups which make meretricious promises to provide all their needs. The result is teenagers running like headless chickens in the streets with concealed firearms that they cannot aim properly. When the dust settles, many people are rendered “collateral damage” because the militia of children are not trained firearms wielders. The gun now becomes this entity, assuming its own sub-culture in little St. Lucia. Just like in the action-figure era, the youth are now preoccupied with guns – and without a gun range at which to practise, they practise in quiet corners, and aim at the unsuspecting. But, we must remember that we do not manufacture guns. Every illegal firearm has its origins rooted in an oversight by a good-for-himself Customs Officer.
“Me? I finish with that school thing”, another child will tell you. Another argument surfaces, that we use gang activity as the scapegoat for our inefficiencies. Indeed, that “school thing” mentality adopted by many in our society continues to infiltrate the minds of many today. Our literacy rate is generously estimated to be 75%, while proficiency in the written and spoken English Language is few few and far between. This literacy rate is dwarved by that of our neighbouring Caribbean islands. Barbados, for example, has a literacy rate of almost 100%. I attended a Library Week seminar some time in March of this year, where the then Chief Education Officer disclosed the matriculation rate of our students in tertiary education. “15%” she’d come to lament. Only 15% of our students who graduate from secondary school matriculate into tertiary education. The word on the street is school is a waste of time, words boldly expressed by youth and aged alike. That one slaves away for a piece of paper when there is so much paper to be made in our ubiquitous entry-level positions. One of our Nobel Laureates, Sir Arthur Lewis, said that the cure to poverty was not wealth, but knowledge. Ironically, the poverty here remains malignant and the knowledge unattained. It is easy to blame induction into gangs as the main cause of gun violence here. Yet, to look just a little deeper is to find the truth. The truth being, in a country where continuing education is undesirable joining a gang is more so. The era of getting employment with subpar, but acceptable, CSEC grades is quickly fading as St. Lucia grapples with the influx of undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications. The present administration has committed to providing one university graduate per household. Fair sentiments with fairer actions. Scholarships are widespread and the diversification of studies is increasing. But, when the demand for higher education is not as present for a 21st-Century society, how many households without university graduates already will benefit? Rumour also has it that submissions for scholarships are so low year-round that deadlines have to be extended and incentives increased.
“We need to pray for them” – another argument surfaces from the more religious quarters of society. The streets have also seen their fair share of bible-wielding soldiers seeking divine intervention for the youth. Prayer seems to be the church’s coup de grace for the spate in delinquency. Prayer seems to be the church’s only weapon against delinquency. The current Minister for Youth Development and Sports, in one of the weekly Pre-Cabinet press briefings, stated that the Ministry is looking to engage the young people in more after-school activities to keep them active in more constructive endeavours. He also lamented a lack of resources to facilitate these programmes. He then called on the NGOs and private sector businesses to lend support to this cause. One remembers the church in these times, and their resources. Their centres, halls, their physical spaces, through which the Government may conduct these after-school programmes. Perhaps, the church can do more than offer their prayers in these times, perhaps they can lend (or bleed Government’s coffers dry, c’est la meme chose) their physical resources. One remembers the plenty counsellors and behavioural therapists the church has in its cavalry. The ones who are quicker to write books than come to the common need. I do not disregard prayer. But there has been prayer from the church for decades. Where’s the action?
“Stricter penalties” – another argument, this time not on the streets but in our House of Parliament. The penalties for possession of an illegal firearm are tightened where an individual found with an illegal firearm would have to pay a fine upwards of $20, 000 and/or spend some twenty-five odd years in prison. The Legislation has been the subject of much scrutiny, ranging from catching the perpetrators in the first place, to the effectiveness of these measures. The sentiment maintained by Pariliament was that perpetrators would “think twice” before owning an illegal firearm. It is now some weeks after this amendment and gun violence remains unabated.
The police have been deployed on operations, changed commissioners, and assumed a “no nonsense” attitude to the issue of guns. However, I doubt the Parliament had thought that young men and women in their teens would be among the perps they’d arrest.
The question is therefore remains the same as earlier, where are your parents? The concerns remain the same. What reason do you have for a gun? We do not manufacure guns in St. Lucia. So, how did you, a victim, get a gun? The scramble now for people to buy ground provisions is a silent, but growing issue. We can hardly find “what we grow” at a market stall anymore. But we can find an imported firearm, legal or not, on the sides of men and women. And in the end, our children are the victims.
“But why she have gun playing with?” – society sits in judgement of a young woman, a victim herself of the real enemy, guns. Today, our society continues to ponder the ramifications of our young people, intentionally or not, killing one another. I invite you to venture beyond simple social media aggravations, speculations and recycled hate; to understand the implications of the simple truth, we do not manufacture guns. We have never manufactured guns. Instead, let us scrutinise the local, our education sector, our parenting styles and our economic model. Let us see how guns have assumed a culture of their own.
It is October and you can count distinct and separate truant students who share the same story. Take now the long look and ask about the parents’ whereabouts; the fathers, who are they? Putting self-righteousness aside, ask them questions. “My mother doe have money; I eh go school today” – the one answer suits the many. What do we call this? Richard Cloward, a criminal sociologist, developed a theory to define youth delinquency. “Differential Opportunity Theory” – which simply suggests that when young people do not have access to opportunities, they may turn to other groups in society which promise wealth, success, a sort of freedom. He suggests that when youth are provided with ample resources to further themselves, they are less likely to engage in delinquent behaviour.
Recently, the media has explained gun-related developments in Vieux Fort (in particular) and St. Lucia (in general), as being the result of gang activity. When our youth cannot afford simple necessities, they are entranced by other groups which make meretricious promises to provide all their needs. The result is teenagers running like headless chickens in the streets with concealed firearms that they cannot aim properly. When the dust settles, many people are rendered “collateral damage” because the militia of children are not trained firearms wielders. The gun now becomes this entity, assuming its own sub-culture in little St. Lucia. Just like in the action-figure era, the youth are now preoccupied with guns – and without a gun range at which to practise, they practise in quiet corners, and aim at the unsuspecting. But, we must remember that we do not manufacture guns. Every illegal firearm has its origins rooted in an oversight by a good-for-himself Customs Officer.
“Me? I finish with that school thing”, another child will tell you. Another argument surfaces, that we use gang activity as the scapegoat for our inefficiencies. Indeed, that “school thing” mentality adopted by many in our society continues to infiltrate the minds of many today. Our literacy rate is generously estimated to be 75%, while proficiency in the written and spoken English Language is few few and far between. This literacy rate is dwarved by that of our neighbouring Caribbean islands. Barbados, for example, has a literacy rate of almost 100%. I attended a Library Week seminar some time in March of this year, where the then Chief Education Officer disclosed the matriculation rate of our students in tertiary education. “15%” she’d come to lament. Only 15% of our students who graduate from secondary school matriculate into tertiary education. The word on the street is school is a waste of time, words boldly expressed by youth and aged alike. That one slaves away for a piece of paper when there is so much paper to be made in our ubiquitous entry-level positions. One of our Nobel Laureates, Sir Arthur Lewis, said that the cure to poverty was not wealth, but knowledge. Ironically, the poverty here remains malignant and the knowledge unattained. It is easy to blame induction into gangs as the main cause of gun violence here. Yet, to look just a little deeper is to find the truth. The truth being, in a country where continuing education is undesirable joining a gang is more so. The era of getting employment with subpar, but acceptable, CSEC grades is quickly fading as St. Lucia grapples with the influx of undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications. The present administration has committed to providing one university graduate per household. Fair sentiments with fairer actions. Scholarships are widespread and the diversification of studies is increasing. But, when the demand for higher education is not as present for a 21st-Century society, how many households without university graduates already will benefit? Rumour also has it that submissions for scholarships are so low year-round that deadlines have to be extended and incentives increased.
“We need to pray for them” – another argument surfaces from the more religious quarters of society. The streets have also seen their fair share of bible-wielding soldiers seeking divine intervention for the youth. Prayer seems to be the church’s coup de grace for the spate in delinquency. Prayer seems to be the church’s only weapon against delinquency. The current Minister for Youth Development and Sports, in one of the weekly Pre-Cabinet press briefings, stated that the Ministry is looking to engage the young people in more after-school activities to keep them active in more constructive endeavours. He also lamented a lack of resources to facilitate these programmes. He then called on the NGOs and private sector businesses to lend support to this cause. One remembers the church in these times, and their resources. Their centres, halls, their physical spaces, through which the Government may conduct these after-school programmes. Perhaps, the church can do more than offer their prayers in these times, perhaps they can lend (or bleed Government’s coffers dry, c’est la meme chose) their physical resources. One remembers the plenty counsellors and behavioural therapists the church has in its cavalry. The ones who are quicker to write books than come to the common need. I do not disregard prayer. But there has been prayer from the church for decades. Where’s the action?
“Stricter penalties” – another argument, this time not on the streets but in our House of Parliament. The penalties for possession of an illegal firearm are tightened where an individual found with an illegal firearm would have to pay a fine upwards of $20, 000 and/or spend some twenty-five odd years in prison. The Legislation has been the subject of much scrutiny, ranging from catching the perpetrators in the first place, to the effectiveness of these measures. The sentiment maintained by Pariliament was that perpetrators would “think twice” before owning an illegal firearm. It is now some weeks after this amendment and gun violence remains unabated.
The police have been deployed on operations, changed commissioners, and assumed a “no nonsense” attitude to the issue of guns. However, I doubt the Parliament had thought that young men and women in their teens would be among the perps they’d arrest.
The question is therefore remains the same as earlier, where are your parents? The concerns remain the same. What reason do you have for a gun? We do not manufacure guns in St. Lucia. So, how did you, a victim, get a gun? The scramble now for people to buy ground provisions is a silent, but growing issue. We can hardly find “what we grow” at a market stall anymore. But we can find an imported firearm, legal or not, on the sides of men and women. And in the end, our children are the victims.
“But why she have gun playing with?” – society sits in judgement of a young woman, a victim herself of the real enemy, guns. Today, our society continues to ponder the ramifications of our young people, intentionally or not, killing one another. I invite you to venture beyond simple social media aggravations, speculations and recycled hate; to understand the implications of the simple truth, we do not manufacture guns. We have never manufactured guns. Instead, let us scrutinise the local, our education sector, our parenting styles and our economic model. Let us see how guns have assumed a culture of their own.
It is October and you can count distinct and separate truant students who share the same story. Take now the long look and ask about the parents’ whereabouts; the fathers, who are they? Putting self-righteousness aside, ask them questions. “My mother doe have money; I eh go school today” – the one answer suits the many. What do we call this? Richard Cloward, a criminal sociologist, developed a theory to define youth delinquency. “Differential Opportunity Theory” – which simply suggests that when young people do not have access to opportunities, they may turn to other groups in society which promise wealth, success, a sort of freedom. He suggests that when youth are provided with ample resources to further themselves, they are less likely to engage in delinquent behaviour.
Recently, the media has explained gun-related developments in Vieux Fort (in particular) and St. Lucia (in general), as being the result of gang activity. When our youth cannot afford simple necessities, they are entranced by other groups which make meretricious promises to provide all their needs. The result is teenagers running like headless chickens in the streets with concealed firearms that they cannot aim properly. When the dust settles, many people are rendered “collateral damage” because the militia of children are not trained firearms wielders. The gun now becomes this entity, assuming its own sub-culture in little St. Lucia. Just like in the action-figure era, the youth are now preoccupied with guns – and without a gun range at which to practise, they practise in quiet corners, and aim at the unsuspecting. But, we must remember that we do not manufacture guns. Every illegal firearm has its origins rooted in an oversight by a good-for-himself Customs Officer.
“Me? I finish with that school thing”, another child will tell you. Another argument surfaces, that we use gang activity as the scapegoat for our inefficiencies. Indeed, that “school thing” mentality adopted by many in our society continues to infiltrate the minds of many today. Our literacy rate is generously estimated to be 75%, while proficiency in the written and spoken English Language is few few and far between. This literacy rate is dwarved by that of our neighbouring Caribbean islands. Barbados, for example, has a literacy rate of almost 100%. I attended a Library Week seminar some time in March of this year, where the then Chief Education Officer disclosed the matriculation rate of our students in tertiary education. “15%” she’d come to lament. Only 15% of our students who graduate from secondary school matriculate into tertiary education. The word on the street is school is a waste of time, words boldly expressed by youth and aged alike. That one slaves away for a piece of paper when there is so much paper to be made in our ubiquitous entry-level positions. One of our Nobel Laureates, Sir Arthur Lewis, said that the cure to poverty was not wealth, but knowledge. Ironically, the poverty here remains malignant and the knowledge unattained. It is easy to blame induction into gangs as the main cause of gun violence here. Yet, to look just a little deeper is to find the truth. The truth being, in a country where continuing education is undesirable joining a gang is more so. The era of getting employment with subpar, but acceptable, CSEC grades is quickly fading as St. Lucia grapples with the influx of undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications. The present administration has committed to providing one university graduate per household. Fair sentiments with fairer actions. Scholarships are widespread and the diversification of studies is increasing. But, when the demand for higher education is not as present for a 21st-Century society, how many households without university graduates already will benefit? Rumour also has it that submissions for scholarships are so low year-round that deadlines have to be extended and incentives increased.
“We need to pray for them” – another argument surfaces from the more religious quarters of society. The streets have also seen their fair share of bible-wielding soldiers seeking divine intervention for the youth. Prayer seems to be the church’s coup de grace for the spate in delinquency. Prayer seems to be the church’s only weapon against delinquency. The current Minister for Youth Development and Sports, in one of the weekly Pre-Cabinet press briefings, stated that the Ministry is looking to engage the young people in more after-school activities to keep them active in more constructive endeavours. He also lamented a lack of resources to facilitate these programmes. He then called on the NGOs and private sector businesses to lend support to this cause. One remembers the church in these times, and their resources. Their centres, halls, their physical spaces, through which the Government may conduct these after-school programmes. Perhaps, the church can do more than offer their prayers in these times, perhaps they can lend (or bleed Government’s coffers dry, c’est la meme chose) their physical resources. One remembers the plenty counsellors and behavioural therapists the church has in its cavalry. The ones who are quicker to write books than come to the common need. I do not disregard prayer. But there has been prayer from the church for decades. Where’s the action?
“Stricter penalties” – another argument, this time not on the streets but in our House of Parliament. The penalties for possession of an illegal firearm are tightened where an individual found with an illegal firearm would have to pay a fine upwards of $20, 000 and/or spend some twenty-five odd years in prison. The Legislation has been the subject of much scrutiny, ranging from catching the perpetrators in the first place, to the effectiveness of these measures. The sentiment maintained by Pariliament was that perpetrators would “think twice” before owning an illegal firearm. It is now some weeks after this amendment and gun violence remains unabated.
The police have been deployed on operations, changed commissioners, and assumed a “no nonsense” attitude to the issue of guns. However, I doubt the Parliament had thought that young men and women in their teens would be among the perps they’d arrest.
The question is therefore remains the same as earlier, where are your parents? The concerns remain the same. What reason do you have for a gun? We do not manufacure guns in St. Lucia. So, how did you, a victim, get a gun? The scramble now for people to buy ground provisions is a silent, but growing issue. We can hardly find “what we grow” at a market stall anymore. But we can find an imported firearm, legal or not, on the sides of men and women. And in the end, our children are the victims.
