Now pause for a moment: when youth see this worm parading the streets and boasting that he is guaranteed police protection, he must have an impact upon them who see him as a demi-god. Frustration increases which breeds anger and hopelessness. I have returned from a very professional crime consultation which was organised by the St Lucia Mission of Seventh-day Adventists and co-ordinated by visionary Caribbean leader, Pastor Johnson Frederick. There were three major presenters: Dr Bertin, Sgt Garde and myself. We looked at research data, the socio-economic factors, missing parents, the spiralling crime rate in the Caribbean, the impact of the media, the need for support groups and counselling centres, the role of the church in the community, and reversing the tidal wave of negative peer pressure.
Pastor Frederick and his team must be applauded for their attempts to empower pastors, teachers, media personnel, social workers. We discussed revolutionising our evangelistic strategies and the need to convert our churches into empowerment community centres. We discussed the critical issue of mobilisation. Proactive leaders will affirm the diverse array of talents in the church, school, sporting clubs, government agencies, business and non-government organisations. One of the major failures in the regional landscape is that we do not seem to have leaders who can spot talent, invest in that talent so as to maximise its usefulness, and create opportunities for the owner of the talent.
Then there is the paranoia that some leaders possess and which is exhibited when they spot a potential successor.All hell tends to break loose, and hostilities emerge as the relationship between leader and potential successor deteriorate.When this is repeated, the organisation becomes fossilised as development is retarded. Plenty heat is generated, but no light is produced. So the St Lucia initiative, as the boiling cauldron of crime and violence hurls blood on the walls of several homes, merits commendation. But let us travel to Rio Claro.Something exciting and extraordinary will be taking place on Sunday, beginning in the Rio Claro car park, at 7 am.
The Heart Touch Ministries will be launched and more than 20 groups will be participating including churches, youth clubs, schools, musical groups support groups, health educators. There will be a march against crime and violence, a health rally, free medical screening, lectures on health and youth development, and the introduction of the Newstart project. Last week I declared to the delegates in the St Lucia consultation that it was time to rescue the nation from the piranhas and parasites. But we have a huge problem. The gang leaders appreciate the concept of networking and penetration.Therefore, they have created a synergy which intimidates stakeholders who should be leading the charge against them.
We must have an unprecedented wave of organisation designed to return the frustration and the hopelessness to the gang leaders, drug dealers and the prostitutionary pimps. When the police kill a few of them in a shoot-out, they are not deterred. In fact, their remaining colleagues launch their candle-lighting ritual which burns throughout the night, signalling that a hero has fallen in a hail of bullets; the next big thing is the funeral and the stars are the criminal connections of the deceased. There must be several marches, health rallies, screening programmes, support groups, school education programmes as we build momentum for Street 50,000. Street 50,000 must spark terror and fear in the hearts of those who wish to convert our streets into rivers of blood.
Beyond the fear, we must give hope to those who wish to change, recover shattered dreams and engage in constructive activities. We have never achieved this before. Horns must blast, bells should ring, choirs must sing, steel orchestras must play. From Arima to Laventille, we must march and engage in constructive activities. We have to unite. No one church, political party,NGO, sporting group, security agency, school, education district, trade union, bank, media house can achieve this. We must collaborate; we must affirm the strengths in others. The national anthem must become super-meaningful. Every creed and race must find an equal place in order to turn the tidal wave of crime.
Parents and grandparents must aim to be positive role models. Alas, in many homes the teenagers have to correct their parents.Why? Parents and older relatives are drinking, smoking, watching pornographic movies, gambling, using expletives, engaging in extra-marital affairs. Some of our youth suffer from a mentoring bankruptcy. They have to pick up the pieces and look elsewhere for principled behaviour, because it cannot be found in the home. We are locked in spiritual miasma and we think that reckless, crass conduct will help us in the fight against the tidal wave of crime.
Let us turn our attention to violent video games and television shows.One popular actress said, "Once it bleeds, it leads." This does not apply to the electronic media alone, because we know that blood is splashed on our print media as well. But we have a greater glorification of gangster activity and sensationalism on the electronic media. What role should parents play? Listen, parents must be managers:effective managers. Are you going to agree to your child being influenced by sadistic shows teaching your children to disrespect you? Will you allow television and the Internet to become the third parent? Does your child need an expensive cell phone that may be used in a negative way, shaping him/her to become a forced-ripe adult? Time to take stock and stop shifting blame. Remember Daniel Guerra. Let us be prepared to sacrifice to turn the tide.