St. Lucia Simply Beautiful is no more the popular phrase it once was, but there was a time when we, as a people and a country, described ourselves in that way. But today, what we see is moral decay and categories of lawlessness.
What had us to change is debatable and what has caused this new attitude is still questionable. But something has or is responsible for this drastic change in our lives, especially with our young men and women.
Not too long ago, there was a marked difference between small communities and the average village compared to the city, but all that has changed as well. It seems today there is no difference and criminality is everywhere and there are no differences between one community and the other.
Like a plague, there has been a new culture of negativity, no one is safe — not even in their own homes. Everywhere, people are now living on edge and the yesterdays are no longer what they used to be.
Every form of criminality exists in this country today – and that’s been the case long before the last General Elections. Our children are no longer safe, neither are our elders and small. Big businesses are all vulnerable, people are afraid to talk, nobody reveals what they know is happening in their neighborhood and parents still shield their children (especially the mothers) and neither the police nor law-enforcers have the answers nor the clout to deal with the problem.
All this had happened because of not nipping things at the bud, as we forgot that a stitch in time saves nine. We let things fester and get out of hand, we make excuses for negative actions and do not hold anybody responsible for their actions.
The system has lost its grip on its citizens, the external influences have changed us and the rat race has made us think material before soul.
In times gone by, we thought of the consequences, what effects our actions would have on our families, if we would go to Heaven or Hell, or if our actions would tarnish our image and reputation — all these were questions we asked ourselves before committing an offence. But sadly enough, today all these questions seem relevant and unimportant.
Is there any way of reversing that trend? Your guess is as good as mine, but what is sure is that the paradise we once knew is no more. We are changing from who we were to become like the rest of the world.
Our identity is nothing special, we are now heading to First Place for Negativity, and we accept things in Biblical terms and prophecies that we are living in The Last Days, so what we see or who we have become is the just new normal God planned for us. So, we live with it, because it has been the accepted way of life for some time now.
The new logic seems to be that things are rough and hard, so we have to survive by any means we consider necessary, as we continue to make excuses for our bad behavior.
It saddens me that we have thrown in the towel and we now show the white flag, as we have surrendered.
But if nothing is done in the foreseeable future to change the new changes, I am afraid we will continue to slide downhill to a place of no return, like in the old proverbial saying about “Abraham riding a bike up a hill, without brakes!” (Abraham ka moootay morne, bicycle san brakes!)
At the point it might be better to pull-up our national hand-brakes and take a pause at the traffic light of life before we move on.
Think about it, folks….