Crime makes the headlines

Crime makes the headlines! It sounds like its only today but it happens every day.  The way the media are reporting crime almost makes it seem trivial or perhaps the readers and viewers are so de-sensitised.

We also get a sense that crime happens only locally when this clearly is not the case.  The most disturbing thing of all though is that the crimes are getting more violent and totally indiscriminate of age, gender and blood relations. The response to crime is that we ought to get tough on crime, yet we are supportive of political parties who see it as human right abuses when advocating these tough measures. Murderers and rapists are no longer subject to the death penalty but concerning still is that these do seldom carry even a life sentence. When life sentences are handed down, this beautiful word called “parole” allows the perpetrators of crime to cut short their sentences. Can you imagine a time when we may let the criminals off the hook with only a few words of reprimand from the judge.

Yes, we are soft on crime because we have lost our bearings. We have become self-centred lest we be caught out for a crime and may have to pay the penalty.  We have become self-centred and so we care little for our fellow human beings.  We have lost our connection.

What is this connection? We are no longer driven by a value system that considers what is good for all. Rather we have allowed everything from promiscuity and greed to dictate our lives. No longer do we feel accountable. We are no longer accountable to our fellow humans let alone to the Creator of us all. So the shift has taken us to protect our little “kingdoms” to the extent that ourselves and our families have become the focal point. What is bad about that? We are failing to instil a value system in our “kingdoms”. Children get their way even when there is no money to buy them the luxuries they demand and we become defensive when our kids wrong another at the expense of justice. This is the breeding ground for greed and corruption.  We see parents covering for their kids instead of teaching them justice and responsibility. It is always the other party’s fault – not my kid’s – no! not my kid. We are our own worst enemies. We have not become accountable for what matters and that word “accountable” does not even feature in our kids’ vocabulary. We have all seen the news and read the newspapers – and how many youngsters are committing serious crimes already. What role models are we? What roles models are we? What role models are we?

Our value system is at stake because we no longer feel we are accountable. The first sin to be committed is out of arrogance. That quality has now permeated our hearts and we don’t even realise it.

Commit to a life of accountability and let us raise our children as such. There will be a day of recompense, a day of accountability. When that day comes it will be too late to make amends. Do it now!