REGARDING THE RECENT demolition of the compound built by kids to practise sports like roller blading biking and skateboarding at the Ministry of Agriculture’s Graeme hall grounds, why would you demolish [it]? Have you any semblance of sense?
Do you realise that children who take the initiative to build things for their pleasure, for their enjoyment, have characteristics we need to foster in this society? If you continue, and this is only one example, blatant and errant as it is, you will be sending clear messages to your youth – don’t create, don’t step out of what is provided for you, don’t do for yourself; if you do, it will be trampled and destroyed.
Myopia had to drive the decision to demolish this young people’s sporting ground. Passionate kids put their minds and resources together to create a space they enjoyed to develop their skills in rollerblading, skateboarding, you name it. They waited on no one to assist them. They waited on no one to help them. They did it themselves.
Would you prefer that these creative youngsters fuel their creative energies in violent or sexual nonsense like too many of our youth are sinking into? Then why would you reward young people’s spirited enthusiasm for their chosen life expression, with bulldozing?
This is singularly infuriating. A colleague of mine invited me down there one evening and if you saw the skill and the care they took. Do you think any private or public entity rebuilding their facility the “proper way” will give them the same level of pride, joy and self-confidence?
Did you ever engage them? If you thought they shouldn’t be there, if you thought they needed a permit, you had every opportunity any evening to engage them.
If you knew they were there, you are the adults; your job is to train the young people in the ways they should go.
Your job is not to demolish their dreams. It is to facilitate them, period. Fly right and stop this heavy-handed power over nonsense that is having our youth heading “south” in droves.
– MICHELLE CAVE
