Alliance members call for stronger youth intervention programmes
Opposition members Stacy ‘Buddha’ Mather and Melvin ‘Mitch’ Turnbull have urged the government to strengthen youth intervention and rehabilitation programmes in the Virgin Islands, warning that the territory is now “reaping the rewards” of neglecting at-risk young people.
Mather, a former educator, said during a recent interview that the Virgin Islands was paying the price for ignoring warning signs in schools and homes.
“I visited His Majesty’s prison recently, and it was very sobering for me. I saw two young men up there. They are teenagers who are being held allegedly for the murder of a young man,” he stated.
He said all three — both the accused and the victim — had attended the same youth programme. “I think we are seeing what we’ve sowed, what we’ve ignored. Three hundred thousand dollars spent on our anti-crime summit. I’m not bashing it, but what are we doing?” he asked.
Mather questioned the lack of data and targeted support for students in need. “If you can see a child who is in school, who’s acting out, you ask for statistics, you ask for data on truancy, you ask for data on dropout rates, you ask for data on their grades. How are they doing? How are we helping them?” he argued.
He said the signs of social distress were evident but largely ignored. “We see it happening. We have signs that show it. Yet we’re making decisions to do what? To build more infrastructure? We’re making decisions to get up on our podium and smile and use buzzwords and themes. We’re throwing money here, throwing money there,” Mather stated.
Turnbull agreed, saying that while crime was rising, most young people were law-abiding and hopeful. “Yes, crime is getting out of control. These young people who are committing these crimes need to be stopped. Because we cannot allow fear to dictate or become the norm in our society,” he said.
He added that many young Virgin Islanders were striving to succeed and needed better guidance and opportunities. “On the one hand, where we deal with crime, I condemn it in its fullest form. But they are not the majority. So on the one hand, where we deal with crime… then you have the other side where we find ourselves dumbing down our education,” Turnbull explained.
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In fact, the Virgin Islands is paying the price for ignoring diminishing schools academic and homes moral outcomes..
With the recent raids of the government coffers and the inherent messages they sent out, now coagulating in the minds of the young peoples, the moral standings, integrity and integral performance of this counry’s leaders wiil drop to new disgusting lows.
The shameless will cash in their checks, the pensioners will continue to suffer, the needy elderly will continue to die off fory lack ofy support, the children will be left with broken pieces, the people with politicians attempt at fooling some of them continuouslÿ, will go on and the rudderless countrÿ will continue its course upon the rocks.
On account of money and its addictive greed in most today, Look where our country has gone to Lyordyy.
How IRONIC that the two men that USED TO be all for youth got elected, started travelling and forgot the youth! Instead of using their experience garnered from their past youth initiatives, they are now on a quest for more power. Now they are here after the fact acting as if they care and trying to score political points. You guys are absolutely shameless!
The Alliance is the opposition as far as I am concerned. Ronnie and Marlon are a waste of time. Two living dead
And know this Mather, your not resisting stealing from the government’s purse in the form of an exorbitant raise adds more doubt to their trust in you all.
Be doers more than speakers
Yes Mather the chickens coming home to roost! Through your private work with the youths you’ve seen how interjecting at an early enough age and mentoring these youths stymies the bad behaviors that plague the territory now.
I dare ask what the ministers have done privately in their professions lives to make positive changes for the youths? Nada. Throw some government funds at a basketball game and that’s it.
How many of the current ministers have mentored the youths in their districts and built them up to be positive role models? None! Ronnie and Marlon just quiet and has nothing to contribute towards the development of the youth and country – just like the VIPers!!
…He said all three — both the accused and the victim — had attended the same youth programme. “I think we are seeing what we’ve sowed, what we’ve ignored.
so wait, if all three attended Budda’s programe, then the program obviously didn’t work?
3 out of thousands he has worked with. Yea, that is a failure. Read to comprehend