It was with some relief when I received the news; the RCIPS had made an arrest in connection with the attempted murder of Kemar Golding on 29th June at the Jerk Stand by the Prospect Playhouse, Red Bay. It was with some dismay when the suspect’s age was given as being only 18 years.

In nearly every robbery with violence this year the descriptions are of YOUNG men. They have just left school and are starting out on a career. They have many choices and it is an exciting time for them. They seek employment. Some have not graduated with any qualifications. No ‘piece of paper’ to say they took a course and received a good grade. No diploma. One of our columnists wrote recently that soon you will need a diploma to be employed to wait on tables. With a shortage of jobs from manual to office that somewhat ‘tongue in cheek’ statement might become a fact.

The excuse, “I can’t get a job so I had to rob someone” still doesn’t hold water with me. There are millions of people all over the world without a job, no money, minimal food and they don’t turn to a life of crime, robbing and shooting innocent people. It is only the low life scum, cowardly thugs and society vermin who do this.

However, there is peer pressure. Television and movies depict the glamour of violence. Even our super-heroes don’t mind that they damage anything in their way just so they save someone from the clutches of some larger than life mutant gangster seeking world domination. The value of a human life gets seemingly less with every action flick that comes out of Hollywood. How many movies are produced a year where cars smash into some immovable object (and some that do move hit other obstacles); or other cars and human bodies come hurtling through the windows? Then there are the action computer games where everyone gets blown up or shot dead and you get points with every person you eliminate, even police officers.

Our legislators (and I don’t mean just here), the churches and other well meaning groups are able to get banned the showing of a fondled naked breast on mainstream television and computer games, but nothing is censored or complained about when violence is present. The reason, probably 75% of all the blockbuster movies would be banned and almost 100% of computer games. Now don’t get me started on foul and offensive language. Then there are the sitcoms where kids are thought to be cute when they cheek their parents including actually slapping them!

The answer of course is education and LOVE. Do all our children really know what LOVE really means? That there is so much more to love than the association with sex? A parent’s love? Family love and even a friend’s love? When a very young child spends most of his or her time in the company of a ‘nanny’ who keeps changing should we wonder at what we have educated our young adults to become?