Kaieteur News is today reporting that opposition nominated commissioner on the Rights of the Child (ROC) commission Nicole Cole is of the view that youth involvement in crime is related to feelings of hopelessness. We disagree - hopelessness yes, but rather that lost sense of hope stems from the poor leadership provided by opposition leaders. Many youths accused of various crimes are often from communities which the opposition obtains significant support from.

Of course it would be naÏve to think that only youths from these areas indulge in crime but an examination would reveal that the overwhelming majority of youths who face the court or are implicated in some form or the other are from those opposition strong areas. And why this is so? It’s because they have been spoon- fed on a culture of lawlessness by the opposition.

Thuggery, arson, robbery and other forms of violence combined are described as ‘peaceful’ protests and they are led to believe it’s their democratic right to do so. When the Leader of the Opposition challenges the law by refusing to accept the court’s ruling then justifies it by saying:“The Chief Justice is not divine, he is not omniscient and he could have very well and made a mistake”, he is encouraging youths to become lawbreakers and to pick and choose which laws to adhere to.