REGENERATING THE MORAL AND SPIRITUAL VALUES OF OUR SOCIETY

By Vernon Khelawan

In our country today children are being shot and/or murdered, children are being kidnapped, unborn children are being discarded like garbage, teenaged girls run away from either their own homes or institutions and children are turned to street beggars even by their own parents. This, my brothers and sisters, is the society into which Trinidad and Tobago has apparently morphed.

Look again, however, and there are the results of the recent SEA examination which demonstrated the dedication of thousands of primary school pupils who obviously take very seriously their schoolwork and know its importance to their future, regardless of whatever field of endeavour they may eventually choose.

If we want to be honest with ourselves, we will draw the inevitable conclusion that proper parenting makes the difference in the two scenarios encapsulated above. The top students, according to press reports and photographs, show clearly that supportive home environments breed success. There are even some cases where single-parent homes have produced successful students.

And, of course, it all goes back to the teaching of moral and spiritual values in the home from an early age, where parents united in bringing up their children ensure that values – moral and spiritual – form an integral part of the home teaching.

Have you experienced as you walk along the streets, either in your district or in some other place, young people staring at you full in the face without a word of greeting? That was unheard of while I was growing up. You simply had to give the respect to neighbours and villagers. There was no choice. This was a result of proper parenting and the instilling of good manners. I vividly recall my mother saying “Morning, morning break no bones”.

You get the feeling that people are angry but, they do not know why, which is the real problem. We are growing a generation of youth that has lost all respect for people, things, institutions and even themselves.

It is therefore incumbent on parents, guardians, teachers and other leaders to take to heart the Third Pastoral Priority – Regenerating the Moral and Spiritual Values of our Society. The advantage of regaining these values is obvious. The matter now rests squarely in the hands of our leaders, families, Church and State in that order.