For the youth of today, you will know exactly what I mean. For the adult community, you will have to remember. Being young is a confusing time filled with so much insecurity, doubt and fear. There are so many people a child has to answer to on a daily basis such as parents, teachers, siblings and just regular adults who feel that because they are older, can speak to a child in any manner they desire.

Jason Allen

It is a time in which one tries to discover his or her own identity and decide what they want to do or become. It is a period in which they seek guidance from anyone that is willing to give it. Many people, especially the older ones, are terrified of youth because they cannot relate with them. I remember when Victor Banks spoke at the inauguration of the tennis facility in Blowing Point. He specifically said that he looks towards young pioneers such as Mitchell Lake who can relate with the younger generation as he simply cannot understand them.

It would be easy to write pages upon pages of the intricacies of being a young person, but the topic of this article serves to inform adults, as well as help children understand how they think themselves, about the importance of structure. If there is one thing I have learned from my years of being a teacher in public schools and universities, it is that people need to always know where the line is drawn. When dealing with youth, it is paramount to let them understand the parameters of any situation. I am sure that parents and teachers can recollect a time when their child or student has crossed the line. This is their innate way of merely trying to understand what is acceptable and what is undesirable. Many people might deem it as misbehaviour or disrespectful and I would have to agree. But, there are positive and negative ways to deal with issues that arise when children cross the line.

There is a process for almost everything in life. Children are not familiar with the structure placed in society by adults. It is our job to teach them and we must do so in a fair way. If there is a consequence for a negative action, then it is incumbent on the adult in charge to make sure that the consequence is carried out. I often times find it quite absurd the amount of favouritism that exists in Anguilla. Some people get what they want because they know someone who knows someone, while the rest have to go through the proper channels. I completely understand that small societies struggle with that issue but it is quite easy to fix.

This of course is a cultural issue and over a period of time, culture can change. I conducted an interview this morning with The Honourable Deputy Governor Mr. Stanley Reid. He mentioned that one of the obstacles he has dealt with in his new appointment is this same notion of favouritism and people not understanding where the line is drawn. He mentioned to me that he is committed to trying to help change that culture in Anguilla and I of course think we should start with the youth. Give them structure, help them understand it, discipline them when they cross the line and please do not show favouritism to a few and use an iron fist with the rest.

-Jason Allen

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