Making decisions and thinking after

THE EDITOR, Madam:

Sligoville and similar incidents are examples of making decisions and thinking about them afterwards; otherwise, there would hardly be any regrets or reasons for tears. When a gunman turns himself in after being on the run for committing a murder, it’s usually because his thoughts finally catch up with him, telling him he made an unwise choice. Or, when a policeman or policewoman is charged for overreaching his or her authority and suffers severe consequences as a result, it is almost always a case of that person’s thoughts catching up with their actions.

Societies apparently run on the basis of actions being the leader of thought and foresight. That is why reprisal killings and jungle justice take precedence over clarity and process, often resulting in people being mistakenly killed in the name of swift justice and speedy compensation. Thoughts being the consequence of actions have become entrenched in almost every aspect of life instead of being the reasons to react.

When an accident happens on the roadways, people’s thoughts begin to reassess the driving habits and road conditions that give rise to multiple fatalities, revealing that construction decisions and driving privileges were made with little or no thought being involved. Or, when extreme weather conditions occur, resulting in severe flooding or a hurricane, causing more damage to roads and buildings alike, a reflective evaluation of structural integrity and the needed improvements to minimise damage only then begins to surface.

Murders and reprisal killings seem to become a pastime for many who have made decisions and regret them, yet continue to replay those unfortunate choices until thought eventually shines the spotlight on them, discrediting them. The term ‘senseless killing’ has become a recurring adage over the years, coming on the heels of every pointless decision made devoid of reason.

As in the recent killings in Sligoville, you hear people sadly reflecting, “This should never have happened”, just as many other horrors yet to come should not have happened, because societies have become counter-reactions to decisions that leave thoughts too slow to catch up. Yet, if only people were guided by the manual set forth in Matthew chapters 5 to 7, forethought would become the master over hurried decisions, resulting in happier consequences from our actions.

HOMER SYLVESTER

Jacksonville, Florida