Reading the title of this editorial might have caused you to raise an eyebrow or perhaps your curiosity is pushing you to keep reading just to see where the writer is going with this one. By dictionary definition, a crime is defined as action which constitutes an offense which may be prosecuted or is punishable by law.
Some other meaning applied point to what is labelled as an illegal activity while apart from the law aspect can be considered wrong, evil and shameful when judged by on the basis of morals and ethics. As human beings, we are after all supposed to or at least expected to have some sort of moral compass to guide the decisions that we make.
Sadly though, the reality is good versus evil is what life is about. Violence in any form is condemned! There is no question about that but when innocent people including children are exposed to dangerous situations then the voices which frown upon criminality gets even louder as a society.
Case in pointthe two recent fatal shootings with one happening at a popular fast food restaurant claiming the life of a young man and the latest occurring on the compound of a primary school of a female security guard. Now, when we think about that recent deadly shooting at the Irish Town Primary School, sadly for the students, staff and other workers attached to that learning institution, ‘Crime and Violence’ now becomes a direct subject matter along with ‘Dealing With Trauma’.Automatically, the school has been closed to beef up security which includes plans for making changes to the physical structure of the school’s premises.
The Ministry of Education has also been conducting sessions which focus on dealing with the trauma stemming from that deadly incident. Hence, when those students and staff members return nothing will be normal-not their feelings, not their state of mind, not their surroundings, not their movement to and from school among other things depending on how much they have been negatively impacted by the ordeal.
It is strongly hoped though that the studentssupported through the interactions with their parents/guardians, teachers, other family members, community figures and even their peers-will eventually see this as a lesson in being a decent human being throughout their adolescent and adult life by associating themselves with the force for good that tramples evil in our society and overall, the world. Even further, perhaps among them, would be the future leaders and agents of change in our society who will aspire to positively impact their community and country through carefully selected career fields.
That is a lesson for us as a human race. We must always seek to do good. Cheers to those who choose good over evil. No one is perfectmind youbut the efforts propelled by the values of respect for self and others is what it takes.
That is what having moral standards is about; having principles like integrity and honesty shape our lives.“What if other people were wounded or killed?” and “They don’t care about who else is around” are some of the sentiments being echoed by many individuals who are shocked, angry and disappointed by such reckless endangerment. Just imagine the trauma experienced by those innocent bystanders who have experienced being in the dangerous situation.
To put the lives of innocent people in danger is on a different level of carelessness and disregard for human life. It is also a serious criminal offense. On the topic of standards, it is common for some people to put forward the argument that ‘Even evil has standards’ when it comes to crossing certain lines.
Dear society: May the force for good be the moral compass for betterment where peace abounds. That is the standard direction we need.
