PAM disgust over crime situation
Appeals to government to work in a bipartisan manner
By Melissa Bryant
Reporter~SKNVibes.com
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(L-R) Hon. Shawn Richards and PAM’s Leader Lindsay Grant
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BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – AT a specially convened press conference to address the escalating level of crime and violence in the Federation, the People’s Action Movement (PAM) expressed revulsion at the “culture of death” that hovers over the land.
Although the political party had held a press conference just last week, the Hon. Shawn Richards disclosed that the decision to have another so soon was due to their consideration of crime and violence as matters of national importance that require national attention.
PAM’s Leader Lindsay Grant noted that the families who have lost loved ones in this murderous year deserve answers immediately.
“They are not interested in who is to blame. We must not give into the urge to point fingers at one another. Rather, what we must do is ensure that another family does not go through the pain that the families of the 22 victims this year have gone through. The 22 killings this year are 22 too many and we all must be outraged,” Grant said.
He appealed to the government to work in a bipartisan way to ensure that communities are not ceded to the criminals and for civil society, non-government organisations, churches and other organisations to come together in a new crusade against evil, violence, drugs and illicit behaviour. ~~Adz:Right~~
He also challenged parents to be better role models and called on fathers to maintain stronger presence in the home.
“Additionally, youth should take responsibility for their destinies. Governments and politicians can do so much, but a lot of the problems must also be solved through personal responsibility,” explained Grant.
He however stressed that it is the political leadership that must set the tone and send the message to the rest of the community that the depths to which the nation has sunk are not acceptable.
“We must all take the blame and we must all change. But the Labour Party is the ruling party and they must set the tone for the community at large. They have to set the policies that will guide whatever crime-fighting initiatives we have. Therefore, the government of the day has a responsibility to the people it serves.
“The opposition has responsibility too. We have put some initiatives on the table. The government has not come forward with any. They have not even come to the community in outrage over what happened this weekend, which I consider most distasteful,” Grant revealed.
“Our people are our most valuable asset and we cannot afford to lose them to crime and hopelessness.”
The press conference was held against the backdrop of the Federation’s murder record climbing to 22 over the weekend, with the shooting deaths of Desroy ‘Shootout’ Walwyn and Trevon ‘Waxy’ Francis as well as the injury to six other persons.
