Crime, conflict and violence

THE EDITOR: I still recall my childhood poetry. Listen: “Oh England is a pleasant place for him that’s rich and high;/ But England is a cruel place for such poor folks as I.”

Later on I came across another poem, The English Flag, ably applied by CLR James in his analysis of WI cricket, “Winds of the world, give answer! They are whimpering to and fro/ And what should they know of England who only England know?”

In my case, I now ask, “What do they know of TT who only TT know?” I refer specifically to conflict, crime, and violence in TT. Indeed, I have concluded that too many commentators and critics of social developments in the nation speak out without first clarifying their assumptions and possession of the facts.

They violently swim in limited and shallow pools of misunderstanding. For example, it seems that few take time to explore such UN information as the following items modified and presented by me below:

1. The average level of global peacefulness and crime continues to decline, suggesting that TT finally has taken its seat around the table of conflict, crime, and violence.

2. Urban planning, socialisation, crime prevention and judiciary measures, and police action have all appeared to be important when planning approaches for decreasing crime and violence in societies.

3. The proximity of perpetrators to their victims, the vulnerability of targets of crime, the availability of firearms and drugs, the presence of gangs, population density and the pressures and tensions on communities all seem to have contributed worldwide to an increased risk of insecurity and crime.

I suggest that they go even further to examine what different people have written and said worldwide over time. For example:

1. Nothing splendid has ever been achieved except by those who dared believe that something inside of them was superior to circumstance (20th century American author, advertising executive, and politician).

2. Despite everything, I believe that people are really good at heart (remark from a woman who died in a Nazi concentration camp).

3. When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves (Nazi concentration camp survivor).

4. Never believe that a few caring people can’t change the world (a well respected anthropologist).

5. I believe in peace; I believe in mercy (articulated by the young Pakistani activist for female education and the youngest – born in 1997 – Nobel Prize laureate, shot in 2012 by the Taliban for advocating education for girls).

TT, whether it is with respect to education, employment, economic diversification, crime, the death penalty, the nature, dynamics, and control of marijuana, alcohol, or perceived dangerous drugs, the right approach surely must be a holistic approach, driven by the emergence of a number of think tanks, empowered, encouraged, and facilitated by tried and tested democratic government and non-governmental agency guidelines and strategies.

RAYMOND S HACKETT

Curepe