Why choose Violence over National Pride?

As Vincentians we all share a common geographic space albeit only 150 square miles. As a people all our efforts should be channeled towards the advancement of the cause for development, especially among our youth. Discouragingly however the alarming rate at which many are tearing down while others are trying to build does not fit well with the need to unite our forces to build our blessed nation. {{more}} Sometimes I wonder if as a people whether the majority of us have lost our national pride. How do we foster national pride in our youth? The answer cannot be made much simpler, we must choose to love our country and be guided by the general good. In this formula violence does not find a place. Acts of violence are indicators that the perpetrators are not willing to foster national pride. The year 2007 has seen an unprecedented loss of lives from gun play and other acts of violence, what are we going to do about it? Our women, children and young men are particularly at risk and must be protected at all costs.

If we love our country we will care for our nation’s image and ensure that we do our part to build a society where violence is at a minimum. There is too much at stake to be lost if we do the contrary. Our nation has made great strides towards building a tourism industry which is projected to play a critical role in the future sustainability of our economy. Any marked increase in crime will definitely make our efforts counterproductive. Would we really allow the insensitivities of a few who embrace criminal conduct to hamper the efforts of the true nationalist?

In light of the recent increase in incidents of gun violence resulting in the loss of life, the time is now for us to advocate for a campaign to get all illegal guns off our streets. Did you ever stop to think that the Virginia Tech shootings in the United States and the 15-year old shot at a Toronto high school could very well be reproduced here in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Each citizen of St. Vincent and the Grenadines stands to be affected if we do not take organized action now. In this regard, it requires a national effort and all must be concerned about the way forward. We should not wait until an incident of gun violence occurs next door, close to our home, school or work place before we become active about finding a solution. Many of us know of persons who have guns but we will not become concerned until the next person who suffers is one of our very own.

It is our business to secure our communities and future generations. Increasingly our children and youth are being exposed to gun violence in the home, school, and the community. As it relates to exposure, parents should refrain from giving toy guns as gifts to any child as it plants the early seed that can blossom into a general interest in guns. Research shows that psychological effects on children can include desensitization to violence, anger management issues, withdrawal from society and posttraumatic stress disorder.

In certain parts of the world, the reasons are clear why there is an alarming rate of gun violence – insurgents, militant jihads and the like. In St. Vincent and the Grenadines on the other hand this is not the case. It is obvious that those inclined to violence need some form of anger management in order to assist them in dealing with relationships and domestic problems that are contentious. Men and women who can be identified as having these issues must be helped through an organized counseling process in an effort to make non-violent resolutions more appealing. The role of the family is pivotal in addressing this problem and more particularly so since we are on the verge of a terrible disasters.

In a recent article, “Your role in crime reduction,” it was highlighted that the root of many of our nation’s social problems will remain unsolved because the majority of our citizens are looking in the wrong direction for the right answers. The problem of crime is not one that can be properly addressed single-handedly by the police, magistrates, judges, honourable members of parliament and the like. Instead, the way forward requires a concerted national effort from all stakeholders in our society to curb and eventually bring an end to gun violence and crimes.

A Small Arms Survey suggests that Columbia, El Salvador and Venezuela have the highest rates of reported firearm deaths in the world. Our nation being nestled among countries that are burdened by small firearms has to be practical and recognize that the regional cross-border movement of arms is affecting us to great extent. Our local and regional laws, regulations and administrative procedures must ensure that those engaged in illegal stockpiling, transfer and possession of guns do not find our markets as one that is readily available.

Our society does not need to experience the trauma of more gun violence and crime before a gun amnesty program is implemented. This is a great start towards ending the gun violence and loss of innocent lives. We must implement new ways to encourage those in possession of illegal arms to “bring the guns in”. It is time that we all focus our energies on building our national pride. The process begins with you.