Vincentians, let us be our brother’s keeper

EDITOR: Even with crime rising in St Vincent and the Grenadines, we can agree that we are not as bad as some other countries in the Caribbean, it must be of concern to us.

We, as a people, ascribe blame to the church, the government and others, while we seldom take responsibility.

Have we ever considered that all of us have a responsibility to help in the reduction of crime? Have we ever asked ourselves, “What can I do? Or how can I help? We seem to be more prone to pointing fingers at others, but seldom offer solutions. Indeed, reducing crime is everybody’s responsibility.

The lack of good parental guidance at home and the breakdown of good moral values, coupled with the desire for material things, have contributed significantly to the rise in crime. It is important that parents lead by example in being content and live within their means. Discipline must be administered and moral values should be practiced and taught in the home. These are some of the responsibilities of each one of us.

We often criticize the church by saying that they are doing nothing and that it has failed. The church continues to present God’s word every day. When the heart is changed then crime is reduced.

When a person has a relationship with Christ then crime would not exist in his/her mind. Meanwhile, many continue to hit the church hard by claiming that it is doing nothing and that it is divided, yet when the churches came together at Redemption Sharpes in a united effort to assist in the reduction of crime, we did not hear any compliments. I know that there are those who would still say that the efforts of the churches make no sense, yet when they do nothing, we blame them.

Indeed the Vincentian society is unique, in that we seldom seek to offer solutions, instead we are judgmental and condemning without first trying to ascertain the facts.

Let us be our brother’s keeper, rather than being selfish. Let us pray for each other, rather than be judgmental, and let us be supportive of one another, rather than condemning. May God bless this nation?

Kennard King