It is very sad, disheartening, horrendous and heart breaking to see the increase in knife crimes and deaths of teenagers in our society today. Young lives being wasted just like that. The pain and trauma families that have lost loved ones go through is enormous. The travesty of these crimes hits home when it knocks at your doorstep or in your neighbourhood. How many more lives must be lost before it abates? We all have a role to play in ensuring that this doesn’t go on.
The perpetrators of these crimes are among us, they have parents, family, friends, relatives and neighbours. They are not aliens nor do they come from another planet. The onus doesn’t lie with the government or police alone, we all have our part to play by being our brother’s keeper. Charity they say begins at home. Parents have the responsibilities of educating, controlling and monitoring their children, teaching them the value of life and pointing them in the right direction. Parents also need to help their children develop a bright future. Hopefully the parents don’t need help themselves. It can be argued that most of the perpetrators of knife crimes come from broken and dysfunctional families hence they get their identity from gangs. There is some truth in this school of thought which stresses the importance of the family, the primary unit in which a child should be raised.
To save future generations from treading the destructive paths of crime and violence, the sacredness and importance of the family must be reinstated. Parents need to understand their responsibilities and the importance of raising their children properly. Those in authority should be seen to support the sanctity of the family unit and providing the support parents and teachers need to bring up disciplined children at home and in schools.
Regretfully, the media especially television promote violent crimes, murder and killings. There are hardly any films that doesn’t have these negative attributes. Guns, gun crimes and gang related activities have become common place in movies. Not only are they portrayed, these vices are glorified. So also are knife crimes and murder. Soap operas don’t help matters either. It would be more beneficial to our society if soap operas promote good family values, discipline, good manners and reinforce the sanctity of the family and marriage rather glorify vices, extra-marital affairs broken homes, teenage pregnancy and other society aberrations.
The problem in our society today is not just a government issue, we all have our parts to play. Individuals, businesses, organisations, charities, religious bodies, law enforcement, media artists, actors etc. We can’t turn a blind eye or seat on the fence and watch our society and life style continue to decay. In our own little way let’s help stamp put this epidemic and create a safe and healthy society.
