At the root of the homelessness of Desperadoes is our inability to deal with crime at all levels of our society. Despite the propaganda, little has changed over the past 56 months with regard to crime and criminal justice. The murder rate has had marginal movement and we are now unclear as to how the Government defines Crime.
Despers left the “Hill” in 2010 and I felt ashamed that as a society we had allowed a few bandits to determine the location of one of our premier bands. A few bandits robbed us of an intangible, an experience that was magical – enjoying sweet music atop the hill. Despers moving from their home is analogous to a parent abandoning their home because the children are unruly. Very few of us would allow that kind of behaviour from our children. So why do we allow this behaviour in our society? Why do we allow our politicians to preside over this steadily deteriorating crime situation?
Crime is affecting every sinew of our society and law abiding citizens feel helpless. From school delinquency to reckless driving, law abiding citizens are afraid and our politicians try to lull us into believing that everything is all right.
If we want to imbue our citizens with a sense of discipline then our leaders must themselves be disciplined. If we want our citizens to be productive, our leaders must demonstrate that they too are productive. If we want our citizens to follow the law, then our leaders must live by the law. I am not simply referring to criminal law but to the moral and ethical codes which underpin developed countries. If we want our communities to be sound and wholesome, we must establish the context and ground rules accordingly.
At the heart of all this, there are simple folk who long for a society where we feel safe and secure. There are ordinary folks in TnT who are committed to changing our country for the better. There are plain folks who will do whatever is necessary to ensure that the rule of law prevails. Our country is crying out for inspired leadership. Leaders whom we can respect for their commitment to doing what is right and who is known to live their life of honesty and integrity. We must have the courage to return Despers to their home.
Dennise Demming 