Gyasi, young hero from Morvant

THE EDITOR: We have grown accustomed and generally expect to receive reports of violent crimes from certain areas in our country. The more sophisticated, clever, “decent” crimes of “bobol”, financial impropriety and god-father like involvement in drug dealings are not the metier of the residents of these places. The public has developed prejudices, born of fear, against the residents of these areas and have condemned and rejected them all as social misfits and criminals. We, by our attitude, are contributing to the anti-social problems that do exist in most of these areas. Our rejection of the people creates very often a violent reaction which is, in many instances, born of despair. We emphasise the negatives. A frail looking, fourteen-year-old school boy had made me think again. Gyasi Webster has shown the nation what a true neighbour is.

He, without thought for his own safety, initiated the pursuit and capture of an alleged homicidal extortionist in Morvant recently. It is also interesting to note that although the crime took place in Morvant, and Morvant is once more the scene of murderous violence, the alleged perpetrators are not residents of the area but the victims are. The point which might be glossed over is that the hero in this tragic affair is indeed a young member of the Morvant community. He has demonstrated that our young citizens are capable of selfless acts of human concern and responsibility - he has shown us all that we are our brother’s keepers. Gyasi had indeed illustrated that our neighbour’s welfare is our concern. There is a lot for us to learn from this young boy’s response to his neighbour’s cry for help.

Our juvenile exemplar has made a point for Morvant. He has underscored the statements that MP Fitzgerald Hinds has been consistently making, that the residents of his constituency are as human as people everywhere. There are intelligent, decent, law abiding, industrious, God fearing, respectable, caring, honest people in his neighbourhood as there are in the posh upscale districts. The things that make the headlines are invariably the sensational and the shockingly sordid. There are many serious social problems but scathing condemnation of the people cannot solve anything. The Servol example can: reach out and help. Gysai has made a point for Morvant. Should we persist in the snobbish bias that asks rhetorically — “Can anything good come out of Morvant? Laventille? Beetham?” Thank you Gyasi Webster for the lesson you have thought us.

E FORTUNE
Arima