Dickson Igwe, resident socio-economic and political columnist
The Bible asserts that the love of money is at the root of every evil. That warning is clearly unheeded in the Virgin Islands. The real tragedy is that these islands are a tiny community: in essence a large village. Every violent death affects everyone else. The need to acquire quick wealth is at the heart of recent gun deaths. What will it take to stop the madness?
Guns cause the vast number of murders in the land. Then, the reality is that countries where gun possession is high such as the USA also have the greatest number of gun murders. Worse still is that it is the historically oppressed black community that suffers the most from gun crimes.
In fact, the murder rate from guns in the USA is exponentially higher than in any other country. Just pay a visit across the channel to the United States Virgin Islands to observe this reality.
Is there a solution? Politicians and community leaders preach of the evil of guns in the community regularly, but their words go unheeded. We all wait in horror for news of the next murder hoping it is not someone in our family.
Young men of the Virgin Islands rest the guns down and settle your differences in a wise manner. You kill your brother or cousin to what avail. You end up in prison for twenty-five years. In essence, your life is at an end. The reality is everyone silently considers you a murderer. Who wants to employ a murderer and ex- convict? That is the outcome of crime. You are on a slippery slope to nowhere.
There are better ways for dealing with business than murder. Leave that illegal business alone that ends in death or prison. Why put your close family at risk and in sorrow. That is why getting a skill is crucial for our youth. A skilled man has no need for crime.
Families and community who know where these guns are should get them to the police. Warn your children, relatives, and siblings, to give up their weapons. There is no reason why a small community cannot solve its disputes in a civilized fashion.
Take heed, as the next bullet could have your name written on it, even if you are innocent.
We are losing our safe paradise. How sad.
Dickson Igwe is an education official in the Virgin Islands. He is also a national sea safety instructor. He writes a national column across media and has authored a story book on the Caribbean: ‘The Adventures of a West Indian Villager’. Dickson is focused on economics articles, and he believes economics holds the answer to the full economic and social development of the Caribbean. He is of both West African and Caribbean heritage. Dickson is married with one son.
