Time to stop the anger and hate

This is the face of Camille Taitt who is in grief over the murder of her 14 year-old son, Renaldo Dixon at his school. 

“Everywhere I turn, I see Naldo. I even went to the market today and I buy some crab and I turn to the lady and said my son wanted crab to eat before he died. I still cook it and I leave a piece for him,” she told local media.

Another student, 16, is charged with Renaldo's murder. 

No mother should have to go through such an ordeal. Something is terribly wrong with our society and our school system in Trinidad and Tobago where children carry weapons to kill one another. We must end the destructive anger and hate that is present in our society.

One child is dead. Another faces the maximum penalty for murder. A mother, trying to raise four children alone, is traumatized and thrown into grief over the murder of her child. Another family must deal with a child who will trade a classroom for a prison cell.

Why is this happening in what should be a civilised society? 

We must collectively take responsibility for this tragedy and we must return to where we were decades ago when the community raised its children with respect and discipline. 

Can we stop being so busy and start paying attention to our children? If we continue to fail our children we would soon lose our soul as a nation. It's not too late.

jp