Dear editor,
It is recognised sometimes even the best attempts to support someone can backfire, but taking away a coping mechanism from a people opens a window for them to cause harm, damage or break the law. A notable bringer is the burning of Sanyang Police Station by distraughted demonstrators.
Truthfully, prior to any situation escalating into a disaster there will often be a number of symptomatic pointers and triggers. While some are communicated overtly, others are done covertly such as open non-compliance, signages, graffiti and social media. These communications express people’s dissatisfaction to their leadership. Regrettably, if the leadership fails to pick up and act on these salient warnings then a crisis erupts.
Another trigger closer to insecurity is the adulting of our democracy in an auto-pilot mode. Its most stumbling block is the negativity that shrouds our national dialogue. Let me play a devil advocate in positing we reduce significant national issues as superficial due to partisan loyalty by pointing fingers at each other instead of focusing on the fundamentals of the issue for example the draft constitution.
Insecurity is becoming endemic under the Barrow leadership. Recently, there has been a chilling significant rise in stabbings, theft, robbery and murder within and around the greater Banjul area. At this juncture, one may be tempted to ask what are the factors responsible for our current predicament?
In sum, one can assert without an apology the following form some of the triggers:
Leadership
Anger and frustration
Injustice
Social disconnect
Poverty
Corruption
Distraughted youth
Socio-economic disposition.
Self-awareness teaches that sometimes our personal opinion can affect our professional and public roles. Nonetheless, we must all speak out when a wrong is wrong. Finally, the hardest thing in helping someone is when they feel they don’t need help because they don’t have a problem.
Sulayman Jeng
UK
