THE NOTION of inner-city residents being hostages of crime rather than protectors of criminals has been posited by Opposition Leader Bruce Golding, returning in his elevated role to the House of Representatives.The stance is understandable for a Member of Parliament representing a new constituency; and the plea to rescue these hostages is commendable. But, the great majority of people who live and work outside those communities so prone to violence and upheaval may take some convincing.
One of the more recent developments which point to the need to change the ethos of those sections of the city is the emergence of Mother in Crisis, a group of mothers determined to rescue their sons and daughters from the grip of lawlessness. These are mothers who have first-hand experiences of the kind of milieu Mr. Golding is clearly concerned about.
He is making a distinction between those he sees as victims dominated by a criminal minority who run things. The mothers may have even more intimate knowledge, for so many of them have sons and daughters enmeshed in the criminality.
Another view of this social crisis has been put to the Parliament by the Minister of National Security. Peter Phillips in his own Budget presentation has proposed the establishment of a $200-million fund to finance social intervention in a way that will transform these flashpoints of crime and violence.
The idea, of course, needs further elaboration in ways that will embrace other initiatives by other groups, such as Mother in Crisis, the Peace Management Initiative, and the ad hoc responses from the churches and other social organisations.
It is good that these considerations of social awareness have emerged in a budget debate which normally canvasses the economic and financial policies that must eventually determine the progress of the nation for another financial year. For ultimately, both Government and Opposition must work together to meet the needs of all the people, uptown, downtown and in the ghettoes.
One of the stated objectives of the proposed social intervention fund is to turn the crime-prone ghettoes into safe zones "with legitimate processes of governance". In other words, changing what might be termed garrisons from fiefdoms run by dons using jungle justice to maintain their dominance.
This may be a tall order for some of the old style political structures Mr. Golding himself has been known to condemn. But he, like other MPs, must lead his political constituency and defend those he sees as hostages to criminality.
Those who live and work in what may be termed the 'outer city' may well feel that they too are hostages to the pall of crime which envelops the whole country. All hostages must be rescued without having to pay a ransom that has no legitimacy.
