Young men dying like flies

THE EDITOR: When I see comments on social media that give the impression that it is only young Afro Trinbagonians dying like flies, that is stereotyping.

Doing the wrong thing for the wrong reasons is not restricted to the hot spots of Port-of-Spain and environs. The fallacy that only Afro boys go bad shows when you look at the unfortunate deaths of the two bejewelled young Indian brothers from central. It can be alleged if you can make hefty amounts of money without the university education it means that raw intelligence and natural ambition is being wasted instead of harnessed for the greater good.

Babies are not born bad. They are all cute until the lure of money and excitement portrayed on social media take over. This is more attractive to being stale, boring and poor. Drugs, guns, money, cars and cell phones; wearing the bling and expensive designer clothing; the reputation for being callus and tough; killing rivals over turf, is the stuff of movies.

We are the end product of all our life experiences. Having a poor start in life is also just an excuse for laziness and stupidity. When a young person from a privileged background goes bad it is ten times more pathetic to witness.

It has been estimated that children do not understand true criminality and murder until about aged ten. By age thirteen some teenagers need serious repair. In the real world and especially in the world of young people, image is everything.

So who to blame? Poverty, parents, teachers, the country in which you are born? What about naked and total self indulgence and plain bad mindedness?

Getting rich and dying trying is greatly overdone in TT. Our young people are playing Russian roulette regarding the age they want to be boxed or cremated. Living to age forty is an overgenerous estimate as ages reported in gang killings appear to max out at thirty three, give or take a year or two.

So, what do we do?

Lynette Joseph, Diego Martin.

Comments

"Young men dying like flies"

More in this section