TT needs help

THE EDITOR: Do criminals see themselves as abnormal? Do youngsters who grew up in the middle of warring gangs realise that the other half does not live like this? Do they understand that they are trapped in that cycle of violence largely because they never learned to read of do basic math? Do they ever look at their middle class neighbours and realise that for the sake of a little education they could have had that life? The alarming rise in crime statistics has given rise to a state of near hysteria among our law-abiding citizens. On a daily basis there are calls to the authorities to do something to restore normalcy. But to the criminals, this is normal. They have always been taught that life is kill or be killed, and that society owes them a living.

Males who want something can simply take it from someone else, and females can have ten children and insist that the rest of society must feed them. Why do we think that there is any magic fix for 40 years of conditioning regardless of which party is in office? It seems to me that we are destined to live with this problem for the foreseeable future despite the best efforts of police, army, well meaning businessmen and clergy. There is an entire generation out there that is already completely lost, and the only solution is to go back to basics. Each child is genetically unique at birth, with his or her basic character traits already built in. Education and experience help to mould character, and to produce an adult who will, hopefully take his place as a useful law-abiding member of society.

By education, I mean a system where children are once again given the basic three R’s, and not allowed to move up until these have been mastered. Reading stimulates rational thinking and the ability to reason for oneself. Thousands of youths have already left school without ever having learned to read. All that missed education can not now be magically implanted. Natural aspirations for wealth and desire for the respect of society however are no less because of this. What is less, is the ability to land and hold the jobs they need in order to legally satisfy these desires.

What is really alarming to me, is the fact that there is no light on the horizon, for these same lost generation children are the parents of the next one. As a country, we do not have to be macho here, we do not have to do our own thing, there is no shame in admitting that we need help, we need to copy from those who are doing it right and we need better teachers, we need to pay them enough to attract the best and most dedicated. In my humble opinion there is no justification for politicians being paid more than teachers.

D DEAN
Diego Martin