Violence in our schools

Dear Editor,

  I am writing this article in reference to the complaints of concern from one of our local schools concerning the  misbehaviour of school children. This is a problem I believe should not be taken lightly. The job and responsibility of a school teacher is not always easy, especially dealing with the kind of children you have today, in comparison to those of long time ago. Furthermore, our school children and their children, are the future generations of this island. What will happen if we lose them, or if they refuse education?    

  We already have a great number of youths as school drop-outs, who now are serving time behind bars, others hanging out on the block using drugs, and sad to say some even resting in the grave yards, because of drive-by-shootings, or violent gang fights. How can we solve this problem of our future generations for tomorrow?

  The answer may not be easy, when we observe the peer-pressure, and the negative impact the world today is having on our children, and the way in which we raise our children.

  Dear editor, as I can recall in my days growing up, as a child one of our greatest joys was to watch our famous TV shows of the children’s hour every evening. These were non- violent cartoons shows, such as: “Daffy Duck, Woody Wood Pecker, Bugs Bunny, The Pink Panther and the Road Runner.” At the cinemas, the movies were clean, and not like today, where you constantly hear the famous “f…” word.

  Fathers would come home from work and spend time with their children, and would make sure they finish their homework before play. On Sundays you would see families going to church, and scores of children going to Sunday School in the evening. Love songs, sung by singers of good character and reputation would fill the air with love and romance.

  Our prison cells would mostly have adult men, who were put behind bars because they were either drunk or had been engaged in an occasional fight.

  Dear editor, it is said that It takes a village to raise a child.” Yes, in those days neighbours would indeed help in looking out for your children, as to make sure they were not doing the wrong thing, or following bad company. If your school teacher gave you a bad report for misconduct, then you can be sure that when you come home, your parents would be ready to: “Cut yo tail.” There was order, discipline and respect for your loved ones in the homes. The old people would remind you that: “Two captains can’t steer one ship.”

  But, dear editor, those days are long gone. We are now living in a time when the new generation of parents have let their guards down. In the homes today, the children are now in control. Children today are growing up in homes where families are divided through divorce, separation, violence, alcohol, drug abuse, mothers being battered before their children, and the use of obscene language. On top of that the Afro-American Rap Music industry, of which many of its rap artists are either involved in crime, drugs, abuse, and violence, and the use of filthy language, are now the icons or role models of our youths, who have become addicted to the poisonous lyrics and messages of hatred, revenge, drugs use, and degrading women as  ”bitches.”

  Many of our children today are spending much time looking at violent video games. Single mothers raising their children is now quite common. Our detention centre at the police station, and our prison cells are now filled with young men in their twenties, and even some in their late teens. Not surprisingly, many of these young men are also fathers. But just like many other young men who are fathers out there, without the lack of good fatherhood, or proper education, because they have missed that training at home.

  So, dear editor, we are now reaping what we have being sowing. Violence is breeding and bringing forth violence. Many of our school children, and youths are facing these problems today. From the spiritual side, I would like to say there are also strong negative evil forces influencing especially our young men, as to hinder them from rising up to their God-given position in the home and society as to fulfil their responsibility as leaders. We need our churches to pray more for our youths, as to help combat these evil forces seeking to mislead and destroy them.

 

Name withheld upon request                                                                                         

The Daily Herald

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