#Article (Archive)

Mind your business?

Feb 2, 2010, 12:20 PM

We often hear people saying "mind your business and save your own life."

This is absolutely right, as no one has the right to infringe on the rights of another person, let alone trample upon them.

This brings to mind one of the most powerful American sayings: "the right to life, right to liberty and the right in the pursuit of happiness."

Similarly, others argue that one must put his/her mouth where their money is being spent.

It is against this backdrop that we thought it prudent to bring into focus the issue of a dress code in our midst, as decent people with traditional and cultural values and norms.

By this we mean the indecent way of dressing of our young boys and girls, coupled with the care-free lifestyles that tend to destroy the social fabric of our traditional family set up, compounded by the lack of interest on the part of the parents to discipline the young ones.

Nowadays, girls dress half-naked, while boys loose their trousers to the knee level, which is known in the local parlance as Yutal.

Take a walk around the Traffic Lights along Kairaba Avenue and then to Westfield end to see for yourself.

You would see them hang their bags, drop at the Traffic Lights and head to the Senegambia area. One would be tempted to ask for what purpose or purposes are these young boys and girls going to these places during those odd hours of the night.

Parents, community leaders and religious leaders need to speak out against these societal-ills.

However, we must thank the Supreme Islamic Council's president for being the latest to speak against such vices in our society.

But one other area that we felt the need to talk about is the attitude of some elderly men, who gather at various points to play draughts and talk about everything under the sun. Sadly, such people stay out till late night, knowing very little about what happens to their family back home.

"If you don't think everyday is a good day, just try missing one."

Cavett RobertÂ