The punitive mentality has seen the death of many good projects in our islands. It has harmed people's genuine efforts and caused people to give up prematurely. Indeed, the punitive, vindictive attitude hovers close to the surface, almost visible in many interactions, discussions, comments, questions and criticisms in our society. It is visible in the interactions between store clerks and customers, civil servants and members of the public, members of opposing sporting teams, members of different political parties, members of different religious groups, people who call in to radio programs, students responding to teachers, people buying and selling in the market, and on and on. They are part of civil society.
Healthy disagreement produces the answers to difficult questions and choices.
It keeps us back from working together, reasoning together, to achieve our common goals, even worse it makes us seek out ways to keep each other down. We may work hard to build up our country in our individual jobs. We may plan and implement great projects and programs. But if our negative attitudes remain, we are putting our painfully earned coins into pockets that have holes. We all are concerned about the alarming number of senseless killings in our small community.