I was most pleased with the news caption “TEACHING THEM A LESSON’ in the JULY 9, 2011 Kaieteur News. I said to myself that it was a great move, and that it should now become the norm. Too many times, the resources are at our disposal, and the law is there to be enforced, and by not resorting to what are available, we suffer unnecessary consequences. So congratulations to the members of the Central Police Station in New Amsterdam and to the staff of Vryman’s Secondary School. Now I comment on this issue along the lines of ‘wasted investments’ and ‘curbing crime.’ As regards ‘wasted investments,’ I applaud the efforts of the Ministry of Education. It is common knowledge now in Guyana that ‘education’ is being restored to its rightful place. This is most costly, and therefore, the sacrificial input must not go a-wasting. This can happen when incidents, like the one at Vryman’s Secondary, are allowed to go unnoticed and unabated. I posit that even if the students are aiding and abetting this kind of practice from these ‘no accounts’ that this never be an excuse for not acting promptly. After all, students need protection and guidance even if they themselves are opposing the intervention of the teachers and the police officers. These ‘kids’ do not know and cannot see ‘afar off’ and so they must be safe guarded.
When it comes to ‘curbing crime’ again the act in New Amsterdam must be taken as a good example. In Guyana, the street corners and school areas are crowded with school drop outs. These almost incorrigible young men make dirty ‘passes’ at people, especially the females. They also contribute to the noise nuisance, gamble and embroil themselves in obscenities. If these activities are not curbed, and if these young men are not raked in by the ‘long arm of the law,’ the country would be both ignorant and immoral. I close with a prudent suggestion or two.
First, simply make this acting of ‘hunting down’ ‘street limers’ a big part of the police’s duty. For sure, it will take some effort at first, but soon the word will be out, and the work will become easier. Then, after the arrests are made (since most of these youths are indigent), get some profitable labour from those caught. They can clean clogged drains, help in garbage collecting and disposal etc. In this way, we get not only a law-abiding Guyana but also end up as a clean society.