We are losing our youths

Dear Editor,
My heart aches for the family and country as we lose another youth, another son, Rivaldo Williams, as a result of reckless crime caused by the menaces of society. It saddens me to learn of his tragic death, and the recent deaths of others just like him. I can only imagine what the respective families are feeling. What a horrible time for our youths, their families and the country as a whole. I honestly wish I could take away the pain.
I pray that the family finds peace and comfort in the knowledge that he is now in the hands of God, and that he has received his eternal reward in Heaven.
As an ardent and concerned member of society, a matter like this is a tremendous concern, and as such, I wish to draw the attention of the people of this country towards the increasing rate of rising youth crimes. From schools to their respective workplace, the crimes involving youths are increasing at a steady rate.
This is not at all healthy for the development of our society and country, especially when the role of youths is to renew and refresh the current status of society. We need to understand that our youths are our greatest asset and as such, we as a people need to do everything possible to save them.
The decline in moral character of youths is a cause of great concern. It is utterly disappointing to know that the crimes being committed by these youths are so horrifically cruel, barbaric and inhumane. It is really a sad state of affairs for our country.
With a plethora of job opportunities available, I refuse to accept that there is a lack of job availability causing these youths to react in such barbaric behaviour. It is sad that they prefer such inhumane routes of gaining their income, rather than working for what they want. The most common misconception is that people assume someone becomes successful overnight. There is no fast track to success. This is not what people would want to hear but it is the truth.
I believe that families, religious institutions, and the community have a direct impact on curbing the immature minds of our youths. They need to be taught to become more responsible in their actions, the people and environment they surround themselves in, as well as respecting the safety and protection of their fellow humankind.
To the families and society that have lost their loved ones, all that I can say at this time is that I am terribly sorry that our political leaders do not seem to grasp the reality of crimes on youths and others, and the fact that we are losing our youths. No system has been created to give first-time offenders an opportunity to re-calibrate their lives.
I have been talking about a creation of a boot camp for first-time offenders that will teach them trades, discipline – for example the drills without firearms, to create systems by which we find their skill set or personal strength so we can, as a nation, develop them and make them positive citizens of society.
A mind is a terrible thing to waste. It’s time for our political leaders to wake up and smell the coffee of reality because if these crimes are allowed unchecked, it will destroy the fabric of social mores.

Sincerely,
Roshan Khan
Chairman/Founder
RK’s Guyana Security Services