The roses, the wreaths, civic responsibility

Editor: On the question of civic responsibility, I must reflect on the abandonment by those who had once been deemed to have the capability to lead and to have set and enforced standards of behaviour which would ensure that the rights, privileges and comfort of the citizens were not trampled on by insensitive, indifferent individuals.{{more}}

An issue in this regard is the apathy, not only of the persons who have undertaken the responsibility to manage the welfare of the people directly, the administrators and the police officers, but also those persons, who in one way or the other, are prominent and easily identifiable in the socio- economic fabric of the community.

Look at how long those residents of Arnos Vale have been ventilating their frustrations resulting from the noise, loud, boisterous music, and smoke in the area! Where are the decent, upright, law-abiding citizens of our land? Are they dumb? Or is it that civic duty is, in these days, now adequately expressed in the attendance at funerals, where the graveside gatherings are so convenient for lively small talk with old friends?

What about the elected representatives of the people? Can they not identify with their constituents in this blatant injustice? It was said that a high powered delegation of government officials visited the area some time ago. Has that made a difference? And what about “the men of the cloth”? Have they, because of the weight of the other considerations, become impotent relative to the woes of their flock, and should be regarded now as being merely “cloth-men”?

Civic sensitivity, empathetic good neighbourliness in timely response to exhibitions of injustice against fellow citizens, could probably be likened to a beautiful rose proffered when its fragrance is still fresh. It does more for the soul than the sight of a hundred wreaths on the grave of a friend!

Le Roy Providence