Dear Editor,
I have been observing with dismay, the constant increase in all types of crimes in the Bahamas. Especially crimes against person.
I am of the opinion that the chief cause of this is the fact that babies are having babies, and also are having the responsibility of rearing these babies in a proper manner.
How can a mere child of 12 to 16 possibly raise a child in a proper manner when she has most likely not been raised in the best manner possible??
Not taking away from the fact that there are many well-mannered successful persons from single parent homes, at least 80% of the time, these young mothers are from single parent homes where their mother was also from a single parent home!
Even worse than a single parent home is a home where both parents are present but one or both have serious social or psychological issues. This is a vicious cycle!
This became a very serious problem in the late sixties, when things in the Bahamas began to progress and the young people became even more aware of their rights and started to “do their own thing!”
Front porches disappeared, concerned neighbors disappeared, grandparents /extended families disappeared! Everybody wanted to “mind his or her own business!” and not get involved!
This was the beginning of the end for the Family and all that was good in the Bahamas.
The kids who were born in the late 50’s and early 60″s, were still under the old rule, but they became adults in a time when it was all about money, and principles in the Bahamas did not mean a lot!
The 70′ and 80″s where the era when many new Bahamian millionaires were made at the expense of the ruination of the nation.
So many of these persons who grew up in this era, did not know or appreciate the value of honesty, hard work and a good name!
This era of adults then became the child bearers and raisers!
Fortunately for some of us they’re still in contact with their displaced old grandmothers and mothers and grandfathers and fathers and they assisted in raising some of the children we see excelling today!
Unfortunately, many of these families were placed in a position of relying on guidance from these individuals who grew up in the 70’s and 80’s era, who had long given up on their mothers and fathers and grandparents, classifying them as “old fools!”
Pushing them to an early shameful grave! Now we go to yet another cycle, these persons who were born in the 50’s and 60’s and grew up in the 70’s and 80’s, are now in the position of being called grandpa or grandma!! What do they have to pass on to their grandkids??
The same thing they passed on their kids, NOTHING!
As we are aware, there goes two generations not lost, but severely damaged! Repairable, but severely damaged! What can be done to repair the damage?
It is obvious that these parents have no control over their own lives let alone the lives of their children! Some one must mold these kids into positive adults!
The Police and the Prison System is not the way!
These kids need guidance not punishment! We can’t wait until these kids get to be 10 and 12 year olds and then try to find out what’s wrong with them!
We as a society need to impact on the lives, all children born to unwed teenage mothers, from the moment of birth! A child (gave birth) that does not have any morals or principles cannot instill these things into another child! Think man!
You don’t have to be a college professor to figure that out! If you own a boat, you don’t wait until the hull fall into holes, you check the hull continuously from day one, removing the barnacles and making the necessary repairs and finally putting on a fresh coat of paint!!
We must start Today! Repair this generation before we have another Generation Severely Damaged!!!
Yours etc.,
Mr. Marvin Gibson Sr
A Letter To The Editor
