Nevis national security agenda fell between the cracks

By Rhonda Mitchell

We’re mourning our past lives of how life used to be some twenty years ago, when crime was non-existent in the Federation. It’s painful to watch our young children become brazen and brash with guns and gangs but who can we blame? Who should we blame? Who can stand up, raise a hand and say I’m a part of the problem because I have no effective solution yet?

It’s a tough stance to throw on any one person. Studies, social programs, churches and pastors, parents and political leaders, neighbors and media driven agendas, the list goes on because somewhere in the midst, blame lay, awaiting the person or the organization to step forward and own it with accountability and responsibility.

Many argue the point that people can not blame government for criminals and crime rates. Others argue vehemently, that the government is the sole reason for a high crime. I believe government plays a role in the direction a country is headed. Leaders make laws, govern and set the pace for civility.

Here’s where our twin-sisters struggle deeply with governance—politicking any and everything. Because we’re so small, and everyone practically knows everyone, perhaps, from a principle of the three degrees of separation; then politics rule many agendas, when in essence it should not.

A person can pick any issue in our Federation to discuss and debate, to improve or to do away with and nine out of ten times politics will rear its ugly head. It’s insane to me.

In Nevis, towards the end of July, early August we celebrate Culturama. A time when Nevisians put on the party mix, with calypso shows, pageantry, food fairs, j’ouvert etc. Now, who would speculate that serious political agendas can emerge anywhere in a celebratory atomsphere? It happens.

Government plays an important role in society. However, I do not see the need for governmental issues/politics to dominate people’s lives.

The uphill battle in the Federation with gun violence is clearly politicitized, when the issue is a social one. If the leaders we see, hear and read about in the media can agree on nothing else in their manifestos, but crime in the Federation, then a leading contender for unification is relative. When our Prime Minister and Premier can come forth and diligently cite and propose the strengthening factors of job growth, tourism, education, and healthcare—then they must also, not forget security and safety.

While the above list is a great leg to stand on, civil citizens working—getting robbed or shot; tourists visiting—feeling leery of the place; youths empowering themselves abroad through education—returning home to a strong crime presence; and citizens with great health coverage— then get robbed or shot—then, this is where I would lay some accountability on government. If government takes responsibility for all the above mentioned, then it’s only fair and logical to take responsibility for the crime issue running amuck. All the others took precedence in planning, proposing, and projecting and in between, national security fell between the cracks.

It’s a paradox vision that Douglas holds out to the parents. Take care of your children, groom them, teach them values and so forth. I agree with that phenomenon—parenting is invaluable, no matter what’s going on in the world today. We can not quit on our children, no matter how difficult it gets. But today, it takes more than parents to raise children, it takes everyone in society—even our political leaders.

Crime is no longer an issue than can be band aid up in St. Kitts/Nevis. While, Caribbean crime rate statistics as a whole is on the rise, we can in honesty and hindsight agree that Nevis had no long term plans on how to handle an evident crime rate should it ever unfold the way it is. I never thought I would see this day, where Nevisians discussed and tried to formulate realistic plans to combat the problem.

Nonetheless, in hindsight, Nevisians must now take the 20/20 vision approach for the future. Where past leaders failed to implement a strong national security proposal for the betterment of our country, leaders moving forward must take to task the issue and remove the politicking on crime so that viable solutions can materialize.

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Posted by GFBC Admin on Mar 11 2010. Filed under Awareness, Caribbean News, Features. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.