Is the human spirit in SVG dying? Are we no longer our brothers’ keepers?

EDITOR: I love Christmas. I truly do. From my earliest recollections to today, Christmas creates this feeling of warmth and of all things good and positive. At the same time I recall Christmas time as being associated with disasters, both local and of global dimensions. Our own little SVG has had its share of Christmas disasters when we tell ourselves that God is telling us to “pull up our socks”. But it seems to me that we no longer wear socks, and each year, it looks as if we’re moving further and further away from sharing, caring and respecting one another.

Is the human spirit dying? Are we no longer our brothers’ keepers? Do we all have to think the same way, believe in the same things, want and need the same things in order to get along with one another or to like one another? Is this the kind of country, or for that matter, the kind of world we want to live in? There is clearly moral decay in our society as we enact more laws, while at the same time become an even more lawless country.

Our students are encouraged to graduate from school, not to become citizens who see themselves as having a responsibility to contribute to the growth and development of ALL citizens, but rather by the promise of money. At the same time, while we encourage our young people to extol the importance of money, we continue to malign them, forgetting that the most effective teacher is example. I know that there are many reasons why we should be concerned about some of our young people. But I am continously being amazed at the number of truly good young people whom I have the distinct pleasure of meeting from time to time.

As we rapidly approach 2020, perhaps as individuals, we should try as best we can to think positively, while at the same time encouraging those who are fighting hard to restore some emblance of decency in our society. Also let us hold our politicians accountable for their actions, and remind them of the need for them to walk their talk and that when their party is in office they are there to serve EVERYONE who calls St Vincent and the Grenadines home, as well as those whom we encourage to visit and enjoy what we have to offer.

Vera Anne Brereton