Until Government Does A Balancing Act, Our Progress Will Be Superficial

ONE wonders if the main purpose for criminal behaviour stems from the need to survive.

Some of us may deny it or not want to acknowledge it, but it has become very apparent that crime on this island is on the rise.

Mind you, there are two means of criminal behaviour: one being big companies and/or corporations and shrewd businessmen making deals at astronomical costs, with the clear intention to rip-off their customers or patrons; the other being emboldened young men who, despite the consequences, continue to steal, plunder – and even kill, if they deem it necessary — rape and molest, etcetera, etcetera…

The law seems unable to put a lid on crime at either level and despite all our development that we frequently hear about, little is done to wipe out that scourge. As for the perpetrators, they deem to feel confident that they will always have a fifty percent chance of getting away with their actions.

The enforcement of action by the state, coming up with hash penalties or other crude methods to deter criminals – all this is still not discussed as an important element in our development.

We still strive to develop by building structures and institutions for business purposes and ignore the social and educational needs of our nation. So, those who have tried to acquire more and the have-nots will do anything to get by through any means.

This creates a dilemma of whether nationals or visitors are safe on this island. So, despite all the projected development and infrastructural changes, what good will it do if we are classified as a country of crime and rip-offs?

Here, we tend to put issues like this on the back burner. Some are of the view that crime is worldwide, so there is no need to make a fuss. But the heartbreak is felt island-wide, despite class, religion, political association or gender.

Even the very young have become victims and yet there is still no serious discussion on the subject. They treat it like the ganja issue and can only see it as a leisure drug, not as an economic means to an end.

Unemployment plays a major part in crime, so, does the absence of professional sport that can make a non-academic earn, the absence of vocational technical and artistic learning institution also contribute to crime?

Until the government does a balancing act, our progress will be superficial.

Those in the decision-making positions are playing cat-and-mouse with our lives and country. They care less about our future than they should. It is about ‘their now’ and not ‘our tomorrow’ — and sadly enough, most of us sit back and don’t object. We just continue to go with the flow.

So?