The never-ending wave of wantonness and violence

Eraldine Williams-Shakespeare, Guest Columnist

Six minutes and two seconds of video footage depicting those purported to be our future. I am shuddering, crying, pleading with God for mercy. I heard two days ago the story of a 13-year-old killed, allegedly, by a 14-year-old, and in less than an hour I watched the horror unfold. Multimedia spares no one.

Walk with me a little. Thirteen years ago, a child was born to (hopefully) much love and fanfare. She attended the basic school down the road; proud parents enrolled her in the primary school next door. Six years later, she is in high school. A potential promise. Conflict rears its ugly head and that dreadfully common solution is chosen - she is stabbed while sitting on a bench, following what was possibly a continued feud.

The crowd is thick, the language foul, the emotions crass and uncaring. She is dragged from pillar to post, first by an adult, then students. She is dragged every which way. Finally, she lies dead.

Who is to blame? Why do some onlookers seem so excited? It is like the scene of a movie: only it is all too real. The attacking student is advised by the videographer to discard the weapon before police arrive. She maintains a firm grip. She is advised to leave the scene, to which she responds with a series of expletives. No remorse, only continued anger and a scary, sinister look of misplaced pride.

The videographer, so excited about his prized capture, has given no thought to the implications of his capturing and making public this horrific act. He, too, is rather proud of himself, as he asks the throng to make way to allow him access.

While some might say he was merely replicating what is happening in society, I am wondering, couldn't those hands have been used to provide that child with help? Was he not mature enough to choose life over a moment of fame?

Where did we go wrong?

Jamaica, land of beauty, just where did we go wrong? This is not the first. I know. It won't be the last. Quite possibly, but what are we going to do?

It takes a village to raise a child. True, the responsibilities of the child have to be emphasised in the same way the rights are. True, parents have to lead by example. True, parents also have to be more responsible and in control of what their children are exposed to.

We have to manage as much as is possible the media they are exposed to. The violence embedded in today's cartoons, books, music, video, and Internet-based games is unacceptable. The nature of our homes has to be assessed and addressed. If we fight and quarrel as parents, with no civil response to disagreements, inevitably it is relayed to our children as normal or commonplace.

This very sad and heart-rending episode, as the others before, has dire implications for those who have responsibility for our students. Teachers need to be more prepared to deal with the challenges of teaching in this day and age.

Verbal reprimand is allowed - to an extent, but is not always very effective or preferred by parents. Deans of discipline are in place, police posts are being erected at schools, measures are being put in place, but how effective are they? What inroads, if any, have been made? Penwood, Anchovy, where next?

Weeping for Jamaica

Jamaica is suffering a wave of wantonness and violence that seems never-ending. I weep for that mother who has lost her child and also for that mother whose child was the offender. I weep for Jamaica, land I love, for I, too, am a mother, an educator, a citizen of this great nation.

We know that there are many social issues impacting on our children's behaviours, that some of them have been hurt and abused and that there are challenges with far-reaching implications, but we also know that things can be different if we take a common stand in this fight to save our future, our children.

The Scripture says, "Foolishness abounds in the heart of a child." This is the problem. "The rod of correction (some form of discipline) will drive it out." This is the solution. Why are we trying to reinvent the wheel?

Discipline - all children need it, at home and at school. The fact is, when one becomes an adult and enters the world of work, he/she is made to understand that there are consequences for actions deemed inappropriate - discipline. Why then is it that at school when dealing with children the issue of discipline is now taboo?

We can, like the men of old, go into a time of great mourning, praying and fasting, beseeching God until we get a change. In the meantime, let the village raise the child; give the teacher the autonomy to manage the classroom or let the parents homeschool their children.

But for God's sake, for the sake of our land, let us individually and collectively do something to end this madness.

Eraldine Williams-Shakespeare is an educator. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and eshakespeare@utech.edu.jm.