And why do some of us of treasure it and others disregard it? For the latter is it truly disregard or have the circumstances of their lives created an apathetic or resentful impression of life?
Regarding gangs, I often find myself wondering why someone would engage in activity that would require them to take a life or have their own so casually snuffed out.
When a gang member pulls that trigger, do they understand the impact of their actions? A life, a breathing being with thoughts and emotions, ceases to exist. A family, a community is robbed of a friend, parent, child. The hopes, the dreams, the intentions, everything belonging to the victim is erased in the blink of an eye.
So, I thought, what makes me value my life, appreciate every morning I wake up, prevents me from driving without a seat belt or building homemade explosives in a poorly ventilated shack?
Well, I have my family, I love them tremendously, especially the little humans I created. I would like to continue to enjoy them well into the future. Speaking of the future, I have plans, hopes and dreams, things I intend to accomplish.
While I have had challenges and hardships, none of them have been so severe that I could not see my way through them or work it out, mostly because of the support I have had.
Then I thought, I have been able to enjoy all of these things because my basic needs in life have always been met; I have had positive support around me and because of this I have been given the freedom to enjoy life, to value it… hell to sit down and have deep internal dialogue about it.
This in mind, I flipped the switch. What if my entire life has been an endless struggle? What if I grew upsurrounded by insecurity? Food, housing, educational insecurity. What if I grew up living in a constant state of “survival mode”? If I was constantly terrified of having my needs taken from me. Would I have the mental capacity to sit back and appreciate the gift of today, the value of life.
And what value would life have, if it was just hardship?
Now imagine living this life of hardship and how easy it would be to resent others who have more than you, not because they worked for it, but because they were simply born into different circumstances.
You watch them live in safe homes, with close families, with people who help them through hard times, with their basic needs met.
It all feels unfair, you feel cheated by life and it builds into anger. Anger that grows and is continuously fuelled by struggle and resentment. These emotions, this vulnerability, continues to be passed down, generation to generation.
Support independent journalism.AZP News is an independent news organisation that is not affiliated with any big business and depends solely on advertising to pay our bills. Therefore, we are asking for the generosity of our readers to help us with small donations of any amount, but we will be happy with US$1, US$5 or US$10. Click Here to Donate
As such life, for many is less of a blessing and more of an inescapable curse.
This makes it easy to understand how youth in vulnerable situations could easily be lured into criminal gangs. Gangs promise you your needs will be met and wants fulfilled, you will belong to group, you will have respect, your life will have meaning beyond struggle.
For this, it is worth fighting for, eliminating those who want to take it from you and accepting your own death, because the fulfillment you feel for those few years being a part of gang, is worth a lifetime.
So how do we deal with this? Increased policing won’t help, it will just drive the gangs underground. What needs to happen is you need to deprive them of recruits. You need to acknowledge why so many youths become attracted to gangs and the life they promise.
What we need is more youth involvement. More support needs to be given to our youth clubs, our trade schools and our mentorship programs. Schools need more psychological support.
We need to recognise that through uplifting our youths, giving them the tools to not only see through their own struggles, but lift those around them up and out hardships, is one of the best ways to combat crime and create a more fulfilled population.
Support independent journalism.AZP News is an independent news organisation that is not affiliated with any big business and depends solely on advertising to pay our bills. Therefore, we are asking for the generosity of our readers to help us with small donations of any amount, but we will be happy with US$1, US$5 or US$10. Click Here to Donate
What is the Value of Life?
What is the value of life?
And why do some of us of treasure it and others disregard it? For the latter is it truly disregard or have the circumstances of their lives created an apathetic or resentful impression of life?
Regarding gangs, I often find myself wondering why someone would engage in activity that would require them to take a life or have their own so casually snuffed out.
When a gang member pulls that trigger, do they understand the impact of their actions? A life, a breathing being with thoughts and emotions, ceases to exist. A family, a community is robbed of a friend, parent, child. The hopes, the dreams, the intentions, everything belonging to the victim is erased in the blink of an eye.
So, I thought, what makes me value my life, appreciate every morning I wake up, prevents me from driving without a seat belt or building homemade explosives in a poorly ventilated shack?
Well, I have my family, I love them tremendously, especially the little humans I created. I would like to continue to enjoy them well into the future. Speaking of the future, I have plans, hopes and dreams, things I intend to accomplish.
While I have had challenges and hardships, none of them have been so severe that I could not see my way through them or work it out, mostly because of the support I have had.
Then I thought, I have been able to enjoy all of these things because my basic needs in life have always been met; I have had positive support around me and because of this I have been given the freedom to enjoy life, to value it… hell to sit down and have deep internal dialogue about it.
This in mind, I flipped the switch. What if my entire life has been an endless struggle? What if I grew upsurrounded by insecurity? Food, housing, educational insecurity. What if I grew up living in a constant state of “survival mode”? If I was constantly terrified of having my needs taken from me. Would I have the mental capacity to sit back and appreciate the gift of today, the value of life.
And what value would life have, if it was just hardship?
Now imagine living this life of hardship and how easy it would be to resent others who have more than you, not because they worked for it, but because they were simply born into different circumstances.
You watch them live in safe homes, with close families, with people who help them through hard times, with their basic needs met.
It all feels unfair, you feel cheated by life and it builds into anger. Anger that grows and is continuously fuelled by struggle and resentment. These emotions, this vulnerability, continues to be passed down,
generation to generation.
Support independent journalism. AZP News is an independent news organisation that is not affiliated with any big business and depends solely on advertising to pay our bills. Therefore, we are asking for the generosity of our readers to help us with small donations of any amount, but we will be happy with US$1, US$5 or US$10. Click Here to Donate
As such life, for many is less of a blessing and more of an inescapable curse.
This makes it easy to understand how youth in vulnerable situations could easily be lured into criminal
gangs. Gangs promise you your needs will be met and wants fulfilled, you will belong to group, you will have respect, your life will have meaning beyond struggle.
For this, it is worth fighting for, eliminating those who want to take it from you and accepting your own death, because the fulfillment you feel for those few years being a part of gang, is worth a lifetime.
So how do we deal with this? Increased policing won’t help, it will just drive the gangs underground. What needs to happen is you need to deprive them of recruits. You need to acknowledge why so many youths become attracted to gangs and the life they promise.
What we need is more youth involvement. More support needs to be given to our youth clubs, our trade schools and our mentorship programs. Schools need more psychological support.
We need to recognise that through uplifting our youths, giving them the tools to not only see through their own struggles, but lift those around them up and out hardships, is one of the best ways to combat crime and create a more fulfilled population.
Support independent journalism. AZP News is an independent news organisation that is not affiliated with any big business and depends solely on advertising to pay our bills. Therefore, we are asking for the generosity of our readers to help us with small donations of any amount, but we will be happy with US$1, US$5 or US$10. Click Here to Donate