Crime is the outcome of an infestation deliberately/undeliberately bred by the society’s unwitting actions.
Shamelessly, a man stabbed his precious wife to death, whatever the reason may be, without even considering the welfare of their children. A few days ago, the life of a young boy was snatched when he was stabbed to death after playing a card game. The list goes on and on. There is armed robbery all over the country, in addition to the persistent drug problems. The current events in the country are symptomatic of a country in dire need of direction and redemption, given the new wave of crimes being perpetuated within our communities. Crime is the spin-off emanating from the lifestyle of the society; hence the society cannot exonerate itself from the clutches of crime.
Crime is the outcome of an infestation deliberately/undeliberately bred by the society’s unwitting actions. Crime is like a flower in the garden, breeding when the condition is ripe. Analogically, crime breeds when the society does not apply the virtues of restraint, discipline, self-respect and regards for life: an outcome of multiple adverse social, economic, cultural and family conditions. When the society fails to place values and respect on self-worth and self-respect, the younger members of the society begin to hold in high esteem values that are in reality vanities. According to French nobleman Marquis de Sade (1740-1814), “Crime is the soul of lust. What would pleasure be if it were not accompanied by crime? It is not the object of debauchery that excites us, rather the idea of evil.”
Understanding the present complex dimension of crime in the society, such as the unfortunate disappearance of the five young boys at Freeport, calls for an in-depth understanding and examination of the root causes of crime.
Our present society has become too complacent; condoning whatever brings instant happiness without concern of the essence of life. Parents and family members must remember that crime is a product and outcome of our way of life and the conscious effort by close family members, loved ones and friends to conceal crime. Concealing crime is as evil and dangerous as committing the crime. In essence, both parties become organized in behavioral patterns posing greater danger to the society.
We cannot prevent or deal with the genesis of crime if the rudiments of our children’s social upbringing are being abdicated because of our vain pursuit of wealth, selfish pursuit of “personal happiness”, pandering from relationship to relationship without sustained and conscious effort to painstakingly make the existing relationship (in essence the family) work. In essence, when men and women abdicate their responsibility towards their children, the seed of crime is planted, which will become manifest in later years as we are observing in today’s society. Therefore, the lives and actions of today’s mothers and fathers become the prelude to the breeding of tomorrow’s crimes and criminals, that is, when parents, leaders and the community become too complacent, condoning whatever brings happiness without concern of the essence of life. This is supported by Barry J. Farber that “crime expands only to the extent of our willingness to put up with it”.
We must fight crime wholeheartedly, not by delegation to the judicial system, but through vigorously taking a hard look and reflection of the life we live, the activities of our “children” we tolerate, the kind of pleasure and fun we seek and condone, the level of emphasis on materialism, the nature and scope of the “bread-winner” responsibility we place on our young and innocent children, the values and norms we unwittingly profess to our children through discussion, the kind of language we speak, and above all the dreams we encourage our children to dream.
The former US FBI Director John Edgar Hoover (1895-1972) once said, in the life and training of all family members, parents should -“teach the children the truth”. In essence, we must turn to the true God, and redirect our lives to the foundation of God’s principle. God’s principles and its absolute truth creates the consciousness in mankind that searches one’s conscience towards being capable of: separating good from evil; understanding the need for self-respect; upholding the dignity of the self; upholding the essence of building a lasting legacy, which the society will and continue to appreciate; and the demonstration of selflessness.
By: Dr. Kevin Alcena, The Bahama Journal
