Dear Editor,
Antigua and Barbuda Must Refuse to Grow Accustomed to Violence
The killing of Saquania Anthony in Bathlodge should stop us in our tracks. She was a mother of two, reportedly pregnant with a third child. A 13-year-old boy was critically injured in the same shooting. Their loved ones are living with a loss and a fear that no family should have to bear.
As Antigua and Barbuda mourns, we must ask what it will take to protect life in our communities. We can condemn each killing, share our grief and call for the perpetrators to be caught. We must do those things. But if our concern fades when the next headline appears, we will have failed the families left behind.
Scripture asks us to look inward as well as around us. In Matthew 24:12, Jesus warns that as wickedness increases, the love of many will grow cold. That warning calls us to examine how we respond to suffering. Are we still moved when a neighbour is killed? Do we intervene when a young person begins to see violence as a way to settle a dispute? Do we make room for those who are grieving long after public attention has moved on?
The people responsible for violent crimes must be investigated and held accountable through the law. Police need the resources and public cooperation to do that work. Families also need to feel safe reporting what they know. At the same time, prevention requires patient work in homes, schools, churches and communities: listening to young people, challenging the appeal of guns and helping them find a path away from crime.
Parents and guardians cannot carry that burden alone. Teachers, mentors, faith leaders and neighbours all have a part to play. We should support children who are struggling before they become involved in violence, and we should teach them by our own example that anger does not give anyone the right to take a life.
The Church has a responsibility here, too. Prayer offers comfort and strength, but our concern must continue beyond a service or a statement. It should reach the bereaved family, the frightened child, and the young person who needs guidance. It should also give us the courage to speak plainly about wrongdoing while treating every person’s life as precious.
To Saquania Anthony’s family and children, words cannot undo what has happened. To the injured boy and those caring for him, we offer our prayers and hope for his recovery. They deserve more than a brief moment of sympathy. They deserve a country determined to prevent another family from enduring the same pain.
Second Chronicles 7:14 calls people to humble themselves, pray and turn from wicked ways. Let that call begin with each of us. Let us grieve honestly, demand justice, support those affected and do the difficult work of restoring peace in Antigua and Barbuda.
Respectfully,
Antigua Surf, Juju Bee, Anonymous and other fake commenters
This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: LETTER: “Because Iniquity Shall Abound, the Love of Many Shall Wax Cold” — A Nation Must Wake Up Before It Is Too Late.