Letters & Opinion

Irrespective of the cost, we can’t afford to give-up on our young men!

Carlton Ishmael
By Carlton Ishmael

Often when you hear about the “lack of commitment and direction” of our young men, it is often thought that they should be getting involved in sporting events and activities. But no body stops and think that being a sportsman could be adventurous, but not sustainable, as it relates to putting bread on the table.

Young men have needs and wants, plus their egos to satisfy.

Regardless of their upbringing they all have the dying need to survive.

In most cases they are even more in need, considering their clothes, and shoes are usually very costly.

Some have become fathers at an early age, some have had to leave their parents’ home at a young age because of conflicts in the house, while some have had to prove their manhood by being providers to their girlfriends. And just peer pressure can force them to do unusual things to survive.

Granted, most allow themselves to be influenced or persuaded to get into negative lifestyles, but with some positive support some can turn their lives around.

We cannot and ought not to give-up on our young men, despite how daunting the task, because without them, the future of our generation can become stagnated. Growth should be a holistic approach and dealing with one sector and ignoring another is not dealing with our reality.

There are quite a few negatives associated with our young generation, especially our men, but giving up on them should not be an option.

Folks, sometimes it is the development concepts that can have marginalized our men, as they have not been offered many avenues for survival, apart from being involved in hard labour.

I do think that most should be blamed for their predicament, but making mistakes is a part of growing up.

Some need more support or help than others, but some men, because of our natural stubborn nature, have made life for themselves unbearable and life for them can be challenging because of lack of preparation, or not dealing with the stark reality.

Tomorrow depends on all our youth, and it is pointless to think we can or should support our women and denounce our men. Granted, women are opting for independence and better lifestyles, but it is not always the best policy for our future.

We will always have shortcomings, there will always be those who are dropouts or non-committal, but regardless of the circumstances, we ought not to give-up and throw in the towel on our young men.

Like I said, some do deserve a fresh start, another prospective in life, and if we do not pay attention to their needs, we one day will regret not being there for them when they needed our help most.

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