Fix Up!

Guncrime, stabbings have been all the rage recently. Young, mainly black men have been gaining national headlines for all the wrong reasons. In the midst of this violence many quarters have come up with solutions to this predicament. Stiffer punishment to act as a deterrent, arming the police, to new legislation have all been muted. Now I don’t have any definite answers. I look at the youth today, and I can’t say I understand them or know their behaviour. When I was young, forget about the police or the establishment, I had a healthy fear of my parents, particularly my father. The authorities would be nothing compared to me having to face him. And i don’t only mean the physical punishment I would receive at his hands. What was of greater concern to me was the thought of disappointing him. I’m not sure many of the youth today have these same fears. Are they to blame for this? To quote Gina Yassaray “I don’t think so’ to my mind we, as parents, as adults, and especially as men, have failed our children, especially our young men. As parents, I believe that we have brought into this liberal minded thinking meaning that we can’t punishment our children, or challenge them when they are wrong. Then when we decide to say that certain behaviour won’t be accepted, it’s too late. They are used to not being challenged, so why then would they start to change now. I feel that the biggest failure has been men, particularly Black men. We have failed in our duty as fathers, as role models. Now when I say we, I generalise, but even if your not a father, you still have a role to play. Most of us have families where, because of one thing or another, there is a void of a male figure around. Why not fill that gap? And I don’t mean buying presents. Give your time. Make yourself available. And it doesn’t have to be family. Even if your approach is rebuffed, what harm have you done? Fix up!!!!!!!!!