Youth need to take responsibility

The recent killings of young people in the valley make a fellow youngster feel uncomfortable.

Not so long ago, the death of a young person would shock an entire community, but these days you get the impression people are not shocked, as the killing of innocents has become part of the norm.

If one could argue that the average age of young people who die is between 18 and 24, it would mean they were born between 1989 and 1998, during the infant years of our democracy.

They were then children who had dreams of a free country in which they could raise their own children with hope.

Taking this into account, it poses the question: where did we fail and who is failing us?

I recall when I was in high school in 2002, learners were scared of being caught smoking.

Now children smoke in front of grown-ups.

One always reads that the communities know who the gangsters or criminals are, but surely we were not raised to be bad elements in our communities.

Nor would any parent want their child to use drugs or become a gangster.

I come from the same community and the same street as other bad elements and I am not bad.

The street you come from and the community you are raised in do not determine your destiny.

Responsibility and ownership is not determined by the government, but parents, the youth and society. Do communities not determine their identity?

I am fortunate enough to have grown up in two different areas. In both communities, neighbours knew and supported each other. Children could play in the street until late, without parents fearing a drive-by shooting.

After two decades, I now have to wonder and fear if it is safe for my child to play outside. But I should also wonder about my own safety, as violence in communities has become similar to buying bread – an everyday thing.

To fear is easy and it is human to fear the unknown, but I should ask myself: what am I doing to change that fear?

The solution to our problem is for all of us to work together.

The government and NGOs have the resources, funds, policies and strategies to assist communities with information and education.

Society has the ability to create their identity and they can do this by being an active community, one where neighbours know each other and, more importantly, talk to each other.

A society that does not accept what is happening, but one where they create an environment for children to play in the streets and where the elderly are allowed to walk to the shop and their religious gatherings, without fear.

For parents, it is important to know that before a child looks outside the door, they must be able to find role models in their home. Raising children to the best of their ability, parents need to be these role-models.

Although children have rights, parents should know that they can still discipline a child, without abusing the child and violating the child’s rights.

From an early age we were taught right from wrong, it should worry us that our youth despise this, favouring wrong over right.

Parents are merely the vessel that brings a child into the world and it is still my task as a child to be a responsible citizen and take ownership of my life and actions.

No quick remedy can fix our challenges, the answer lies with us as individuals.

So yes, the recent killings in our communities should not be accepted.

Whether they are gang-related or not, it is a societal issue that requires us to join hands.

We have been united by big sports games let us unite to take back our communities.

*Original opinion piece appeared in the Paarl Post of Thursday 20 November 2014