Caribupdate Weekly, Editorial

September 25, 2014

The pain of Housing Minister, Delma Thomas, was palpable as she pleaded with Grenadians to refrain from engaging in vandalism. The minister was speaking specifically about the stealing of material and vandalism at the housing units being constructed by the government of the People’s Republic of China.

“I really want to make an appeal to residents of Grenada to stop vandalizing the housing units. Your actions are embarrassing us, as a country; and, it can only hurt not only our relationship but future chances of assistance from not only the Chinese government but other governments who are looking on,’’ Thomas warned during a recent press briefing.

I’d bet one cannot point to a date or time when this mean, don’t-care attitude toward state-owned property commenced; but, it’s been around too long and it is far too widespread.

For example, there was a time when public washrooms were available free of cost for use by Grenadians. They have been discontinued. They were messed up – literally and figuratively – by the users.

Roadside mirrors have been erected to assist motorists and help prevent vehicular accidents. The mirrors are the repeated focus of attacks, leaving them broken in several pieces. And, one can go on and on because habitual vandalism across Grenada is showing no signs of abating. The acts at the housing units are just among the most current incidents.

And, the problem is compounded by an increasing approach to life where adults, including parents, appear to outsource much of their responsibility to government. The mindset seems to be that it’s government and the various state agencies, like the Royal Grenada Police Force, and institutions such as the schools and churches, that are to take care of everything.

So, children leave home with no “brought-up-sie’’ and teachers are principals are expected to be responsible not only the academic training of kids; but also for instilling discipline that should have been done at home. And, woe be unto the school – and the government too – if trouble besets an ill-disciplined child.

As well, no parameters are set for children on when they ought to return home, especially after major events such as Inter-Col. As a result, it is left up to police to be shepherding students and shooing them unto buses, urging them to get home, after the Inter-Col track and field meet.

Our view is that, this shepherding and shooing are not the job of the police; in fact, unless the children are breaking some specific law, the police have no right interfering with them. All Grenadians, of all ages, have the right to assemble. Unless, of course, the police are profiling the kids as potential criminals; if so, this profiling itself is troubling.

But, the real point is that children getting home after Inter-Col or following some other major event, is not the responsibility of the police or the government; it is a parental responsibility.

This outsourcing of responsibility to the state also has other bothersome manifestations. Vandalism and abuse are known to occur in the public service with regard to things such as stationery and vehicle use. It is done, seemingly, because the items belong to “government’’; and “government’’ has money and will find replacement.

Hence, we vandalize and abuse what is offered to us as a gift from the Chinese and others. And, when the government cannot obtain gifts and has to borrow and accept loans that have to be repaid or – even worse – has to impose additional taxation, we complain; complain that it’s the politicians who are “wasting’’ or “thiefing’’ our money; or the politicians don’t know how to run the country.

We know politicians are an easy target; some get licks that they genuinely deserve. But, too frequently, we scapegoat our politicians to masquerade our own personal failings.

We all clamour for a better, brighter, more prosperous Grenada, Carriacou and Petite. But that begins with each of us doing what’s right, what just, what noble, and what’s proper in both our private and public spaces.

We’re only fooling ourselves if we think politicians, of whatever stripe or persuasion, are going to fix what we ought to be fixing ourselves. Let’s begin to take more personal responsibility.

And, on a broader note, let’s take the advice of Minister Delma Thomas and refrain from actions that “are embarrassing us as a country’’.