Violent crime in Manurewa 2008 has been a hot topic in the media this past week. Radio and TV talk shows have been hyped up even further by the State of the Nation speeches from both sides of the house calling for special initiatives to deal with crime once it has occurred and preventative measures to keep young people learning longer rather than being left to develop creative anti-social habits in the Manurewa hood.
All of these policies are well meaning but still miss the mark. Poverty is the core issue. Ask most young offenders and they will identify a lack of financial resources, bills that parents and caregivers couldn't pay, and the issues continue from then on. Just getting by in most Manurewa households leaves little time for parents or caregivers to exercise caring or supportive attitudes for their children to succeed.
Attack poverty and public health shall improve, violence may decline, less of our young people may feel inclined to drop out of school, home ownership might rise and we might then have time to share and instill good values into our young people in society. So much is now being written about 'work-life balance' and I suspect that only applies to upper income earners who have the luxury of considering BALANCE while those less fortunate struggle to balance their bank accounts.
HELP ERADICATE POVERTY - HOW DO WE DO IT? I'm looking for the answer.
