Canon EOS 7D & Canon 70 – 200mm f2.8L USM
1/320 f4.5 ISO100 (80 mm)
Ek het hierdie foto onlangs in Atlantis geneem. Die knaap het my gesien en geskree dat hy ook afgeneem wil wees. Natuurlik het ek.
Dit was eers toe ek die foto’s ontwikkel dat ek sien wat op die tats staan. THUG staan op sy regterhand. (Sien detail heel onder.)
Is dit hoe hy homself sien? Is dit sy toekoms?
Een van die redes waarom ek betrokke is by die Durbanville Kinderhuis, is juis omdat hulle kinders help om in die samelewing in te pas en uit die tronk te bly.
Mense wat daagliks werk met jong kinders, wat ’n hoë risiko het om in kriminele gedrag betrokke te raak, sê:
Ons moet die bestaande kurrikulum uitgooi en weer ons kinders vaardighede begin leer.
Die geld wat ons op die strafstelsel spandeer, moet ons eerder gebruik om kinders daaruit te hou. Tronke is universiteite vir kriminele, tog is ons besonder gemaklik daarmee om te betáál om kinders en jongmense tronk toe te stuur.
Ons wat het, moet betrokke raak. Selfs al lees jy een middag ’n week by ’n skool, maak dit reeds ’n verskil. (Lees gerus ook Julian Jansen se stuk, Vervang dwelms met liefde, wat hy geskryf het oor mense wat ’n verskil probeer maak.)
Dekriminaliseer dwelms sodat die bendes se inkomstestroom afgesny word.
Vandag is Werkersdag. Cool. Maar wat van mense wat nooit, ooit in hulle lewens ’n formele werk sal kan hê nie? Ons vakunies staak die hele tyd vir hoër lone, maar wat van werksgeleenthede?
THUG? Is dit wat ons land die jongmense leer?
I recently took this picture in Atlantis. The young man saw me and shouted that he too wanted to be photographed. I obliged.
Upon developing the pictures, I saw the tattoos. The one on his right hand was most disturbing. THUG it says. (See detail below.)
Is that how he sees himself? Is that his future?
One of the reasons why I am involved with the work of the Durbanville Children’s Home is because they help kids to integrate into society – and thus to keep out of gaol.
More and more calls come from people working with the youth at risk to:
Throw out the present curriculum that does not work and go right back to teaching kids skills.
Spend the money we are using on the penal system to pay young people to get off the streets. It is expensive too keep a kid like this in a prison and all he will learn there is how to become a better thug. Prisons are universities for crime, yet many of us will happily pay to send kids and young people to gaol.
Those who have, should get involved in a small way. Even volunteering to read at an after-school class one a week can make a difference to some kids.
Decriminalise drugs, in order to take away the income stream of the gangs.
Today is Worker’s Day. Cool. But what about those who will never, ever have a formal job? Our trade unions always want to strike for higher wages, but what about creating opportunities for more workers to enter the system?
THUG? Is that what our country teaches our youth?
← Laat die kinders lees @ Valhalla Park Public Library
God stuur in by die agterdeur →
1 response to Thug?
megan Titus said on May 1, 2016
I’m in the beauty industry.I’m so burning to teach skills of beauty and health to woman and children but the is no opportunity for me.I’m in to help woman and children that’s in drugs and is criminals.I will say love is all that can help to kill drugs and bad habits.Lif is too short to waste on this that shorten our hurs and days that we can spend to enpower each other!Peace Out!