They say the future is bright, but after what I witnessed last night, I am beginning to wonder whether some of our young parliamentarians are truly ready for the responsibility they so eagerly seek.

Lawd have mercy!

My husband and I have been staying at the Royalton and we have met some wonderful young people from Youth Parliament. We saw them enjoying themselves, laughing and having a good time. Nothing wrong with that. Young people deserve to enjoy themselves too.

But last night? OMG! I could not believe my eyes.

One individual appeared to be intoxicated, insulting his colleagues, hurling profanity at staff and tearing off his clothes. From what I gathered, this individual is the president of the youth organisation.

But wait, it gets worse!

At one point, we also witnessed what appeared to be reckless driving involving this same individual, with other young people in the vehicle.

MY GOD!

So we are talking about insulting colleagues, disrespecting staff and potentially putting the lives of other young people at risk, all while holding a position of leadership?

Lawd, have mercy!

Respect is not reserved for people who hold titles. The staff who serve us deserve dignity, colleagues deserve respect, and the people around us deserve to feel safe. A leadership position should never become an excuse to treat others as though they are beneath you.

And I had to ask myself:

Are we truly preparing young people for leadership, or are we giving them titles before they have developed the maturity and judgment those titles demand?

They want to be called Honourable. They want to sit in Parliament. They want to debate legislation, represent constituencies and influence national policy. They want the public to take them seriously as the next generation of decision-makers.

But leadership is not just about standing behind a podium, quoting the Constitution or raising your voice during a debate. It is about discipline, sound judgment, self-control and understanding that your conduct can affect the people you represent.

Some of our young parliamentarians may be ready for the microphone, but are they ready for the responsibility?

Because being young does not automatically make you progressive, and holding a title does not automatically make you a leader.

We cannot demand respect from the older generation while engaging in conduct that undermines the very respect we are trying to earn.

This is why youth development must be about more than conferences, titles, certificates and photo opportunities. It must also be about character, accountability and preparing young people for the real responsibilities of leadership.

The uncomfortable truth is that wanting to lead and being prepared to lead are two very different things.

The future is bright, they say.

But before we hand them over the keys to the country, perhaps we ought to make sure that those receiving them understand that leadership is not a game, public trust is not a toy, and other people’s lives are not theirs to gamble with.

The question is not whether young people should lead. Of course, they should have that opportunity. The question is whether we are doing enough to ensure that they are ready for it.

Lawd have mercy. We have some serious work to do!

This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: OPINION: Young parliamentarians, but are they really ready to lead?.