Years of bad governance

Good governance is reflected by the conduct and positive outlook on life held by its citizens, but when you got nearly 500 murders each year for the past several years, not to mention widespread homelessness and vagrancy, deplorable health service, decrepit roads and pavements, lack of proper supply of water and so many ills in our society, that reflects excessively bad governance by our politicians for many years.

It is utterly disgraceful having recorded 11 murders already within four days of the new year and while I’m writing there might be more. It is not good enough for our Government to keep on reciting empty platitudes while countless killings go unabated.

I would like to know, has there been any in-depth study of how many families are affected by murders, directly or indirectly? I estimate that maybe one out of ten families has experienced a loved one being murdered. Do we even begin to understand the trauma of having lost a loved one, as many of us have over the past 25 years in this small country to guns and other violence? And apart from the inconsolable pain and grief to be had, not having any answers or justice for that loved one is the final failure of a country. What of the many children who will grow up without fathers and the pain they must go through. There are too many children like that, what their lives are going to be without proper male figures. I’m afraid we are building a very rotten society and will reap the world wind.

Successive governments have come and gone and failed miserably, maybe they just don’t know how to run a country, even a small rich one like ours, our murder rate is considerably more than most first-world countries, our leaders are all inadequate. Mr Rowley you are the Prime Minister, you are in charge. You can’t blame anyone else for the utter dismay and hopelessness citizens feel right now, the buck stops with you.

Racquel Putt, St James