Dear Editor,
On Thursday, November 13, I attended a meeting at the Linden Foundation Secondary School, to which parents/guardians had been hurriedly summoned by the school’s authority to address the serious and dangerous issue of lighting squibs, firecrackers, and other such fireworks.
I had gone to the school for a meeting of quite a different nature, but upon arrival was told that there was a naughty set of children who had been engaging in lighting squibs/firecrackers during school time, but it had become very alarming when one of the devices had been 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. At the meeting six male students were fingered as the likely ones responsible for this act, and they were placed in a police vehicle and taken to the station.
Editor, I am equally as eager as any other for these dangerous incendiary devices to be done away with. For far too long they have been allowed to disturb the lives of many, in spite of the potential danger and threat to life. We have seen the frequent damage done by the stupid and reckless throwing of these things into crowds − loss of sight; blown-off fingers; some falling into the bosoms of women; injury to a man’s back; and babies, the young and elderly ‘jumping out of their skins.’ I was told of someone who died from one explosion, so what more do we need to see?
But one reason why we as a people (from top to bottom) have become so reactive rather than pro-active is simply because we have grown extremely insensitive to the concerns 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 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 when they 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 these 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 our larger society and reflects what we are experiencing every day. 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, and that we all should pay attention to. However, I’m willing to bet ‘pennies to pins’ that over 90% of our teachers don’t listen to the radio! The thunder squibs and firecrackers, etc, are first and foremost banned products which are coming across our borders, and they are sold openly all about, to anyone. They are exploding every day now (being Christmas season) and in the presence of the police; like other dangerous illegal substances, the police know where they are sold, so 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 reflect our society, and we adults too are most times wittingly or unwittingly guilty. We need to stand and speak when we perceive something is a potential danger before it is too late.
The police too who took those six boys to the station must know that they are also a part of the indiscipline. What do the police feel the community thinks of them when they see a particular police officer who drives around a 4×4 vehicle black as tar, playing loud music that can match the sounds of those explosive ‘bombs’ in full view of senior officers in and out of the station. Yet nothing is done, even though this was pointed out before, and even though there is a campaign on to deal with loud music in minibuses. This is a hell of a country we are living in.
To Ms Doreen de Caires, the family, the editor and staff of Stabroek News, kindly accept my condolences on the passing of your husband and father, and Editor-in-chief.
Peace profound.
Yours faithfully,
Frank Fyffe
Our children need good role models. They are only practicing what they are learning from adults. Children are born innocent and devoid of hate and wrongdoings and are taught to do wrong things by the adults in their lives who are supposed to be nuturing them. We have to remember these children are not ours, but was sent here on earth for us to guide and care for.
Quote ” Our children reflect our society, and we adults too are most times
wittingly or unwittingly guilty. We need to stand and speak when we perceive
something is a potential danger before it is too late.”
OK Frank…Ok….
Not get into the action.
1. very problematic to discipline children boith at home and at school
2. government rules and regulations restrict the good old time forms
of discipline
3. all the talk is about the rights of children who grow up to be the scourge
of normal society
4. remember the Underneeming School for Boys and the one for girls in
New Amsterday? Re-establish them and have these indisciplined
youngsters lodged there pronto. Don’t wait for serious infractions.
Send them there pronto and fotget about all these claims for rights
violations.
OK…Ok…I set out a few actions. What about yours?
Next, wee all know that the police are a powerful force.
You try complaining on them and see what will happen?
You have to think it over and over and over and ….ad infinitum, then do nothing!
The Onderneeming school for boys and girls has been there functioning all the time. One of their problems is recividism.
ru a guyanese?where and when was there a “girl school” in new amsterdam? lived there all my life i only knew of the st.theresa]s rc girls school which was certainly not a young offender institution,belfield on the ecd demerara had such a facility you must have overheard a conversation some place get your facts straight man.
I wonder where those kids purchased those devices from? It is just like drugs in the community, we pick a few drug use (scapegoats) up and punish them while the real crimals are just chillin. What the police need to do is to investigate where the kids purchase the squibs from and those individuals should be penalized also.
I knew that we lived in a hell of a country from since,guess when? The seventies.It is even worse toay. Guyana is swarming with organized crime, and opportunist criminals. Where, anyone who likes to be a criminal at any opportunity takes the risks of doing exactly that.
“In hell…you mean Trinidad…………..we just hit 500 murders so far in 2008, without any massacres, in 2001 it was less than 150 murders for the whole year!!!!!!
If you think Guyana bad, you can pop in here, and I’ll take you on a guided tour, with police escort of course, in Laventille!!!!!
The increase in crime in the Third Word since the seventies, is just a breakdown in morals, guided by Hollywood and all other contributors to the get rich quick mentality and vice.
The authorities in GT are trying their best with limited resources, we all have to assist through remittances, empowering and educating our relatives and friends, etc.
The book of Proverbs, by history’s wisest refers to sparing the rod & spoiling the child. He who loveth, correcteth. Anyone who differs condones the creation of the monsters they grow up to be. Our current madministration is STILL trying to get a plan of governance in place even after 14 yrs. To many of us they are just a mediocre oversized buns & mauby shop management crew.
what about the business people who sell squibs (and the drug lords). Don’t you think the rod should be applied to them too, and even more HEAVILY?
“But one reason why we as a people (from top to bottom) have become so reactive rather than pro-active is simply because we have grown extremely insensitive to the concerns 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.”
This is nothing but the truth! Frank, you couldn’t have said it better. WHEN WILL WE LEARN? SOMEDAY OR MAYBE, NEVER!
Wah ah joke fuh school boy ah death fuh frog. But we were all school boys, weren’t we? Remember every body in the village was related to you (99% not by blood) and if you managed to get by Auntie Mabel, Uncle Joe was there to buss yuh ass if you did anything wrong, and when you got home another buss ass was waiting for you. That sense of “it takes a village to raise a child” is again needed. Our UG sociologist will tell you that the current spate of children getting into trouble is as a result of fathers not being there. Mine was there but I still got into trouble. Wah a play fuh school boy ah death fuh frog. ISNM
You got into lil trouble, not BIG trouble, otherwise you won’t have been where you are today. And there was AT LEAST ONE person who was kind to you and was a role model to you, not necessarily Pops. Check back and you’ll see what I mean. What the UG sociologists should have said, is the absence of a father-FIGURE is the big problem.
A hell of a country?? That’s putting it mildly Frank Fyffe, ‘Guyana’s home but it’s not yours no more’. Too many civic leaders are accepting mediocre and sometimes out right failure, as the new standard in exchange for retaining power to the detriment of morality and principles.
Guyana is getting worst by the second, everyone is seeing it but the PPP so-call government.
Rise up people……
Take responsibility parents….
Changes we want, we want it now.
Election is near, make the change, if not, Guyana is gone forever
Which elections you talking about??