Take a bow, Dr Rowley

Clearly he has demonstrated his disgust for the heinous domestic-related murders occurring almost daily, as we all have, and has sought to share pertinent advice to our womenfolk.

I think the call for an apology for his comments is both disingenuous and hypocritical.

Every right-thinking parent would, at one time or another, advise their children on the choices they make or should make regarding their friends and people with whom they associate.

Mothers always ask their daughters, “Are you sure he is the right one?” Fathers always view their daughters’ choice of boyfriends critically and this is not done in a malicious way, but with care and concern for the wellbeing of their children.

Rowley in his capacity as father of the nation has chosen to warn his daughters that they need to exercise greater care in choosing their mates, as far too often, and as the records show, these choices end up being fatal.

Can he be faulted for this? He did not proceed to identify the traits of the right mate or seek to condemn any as not being suitable. He simply cautioned about the choices, and his statement should be accepted as that.

In my estimation, any advice or guidelines that we as a people can get to assist our individual efforts to deal with the troubling issue of crime is most welcomed.

Perhaps, based on Rowley’s advice, some young woman may decide that she will not take the chance to meet with a stranger in search of a job, or spend more time gathering information on his background or credentials. Or another may not decide to take a ride home from someone she barely knew, thereby saving her own life from a tragic end.

To view his comments as being victim blaming is to have missed the point completely.

The truth is that we have many young and not so young women in our country, who are still enamoured by the “bling” and the show of material endowment, and spend little or no time checking out certain characteristics which might indicate the true nature of their suitor.

Certainly some women will take offence at this statement, but it is the truth and indeed the truth offends. It is a material world in which we live and material wealth often times trumps good character when it comes to choosing a mate.

The advice is simply to not be blinded by the glitter so that you don’t see the truth. This will not stop domestic violence, but certainly it can help to prevent it.

So Rowley, take a bow for being forthright and courageous to call it like it is, and not be distracted by the political opportunists who seek to devalue and derail the exercise on which you have embarked.

Garvin Cole Tobag