I have been writing columns for this newspaper for almost 20 consecutive years. It has been my endeavor to transform lives through this medium. It is encouraging when someone comes to me and indicates that a particular article has changed his or her marriage or assisted in dealing with a personal problem. However, there is one subject I have written on that no individual has ever said these articles have helped make a difference. That subject is violence or national crime. Why is that? I think I have the answer.

I have observed that primary reasons for increase of violent behavior are corruption and lack of integrity. This is from the pulpit to the pew. This is from the halls of Parliament to the constituency. I have visited several countries. I have also learned that corruption exists in those countries also. However, what I discovered is that in many of those countries someone will eventually be held accountable even if it takes 50 years.

In our country, once a few months pass, the issues go to sleep forever. This is pitiful. Our young people have learned that they could get away with doing anything, even murder, because they know somebody or because money speaks loudly. The only response to crime by most churches is to pray. While I believe in the power of prayer, it is important to know that prayer without works is dead.

In 1999 I wrote these words: "Churches are having all-night prayer sessions, civic clubs are having debates, public committees are having open forums. These are wonderful avenues for motivating people and gathering information, however, they are poor for doing things. We must move on, out of the halls of discussion and into the streets of action. It is easy to debate what we must do, but it calls for 10 times more energy to do what we have debated." I also penned these words in 2002. "There is something I believe that's holding us back and it is favoritism. It often reveals itself in the form of nepotism and partiality.

We must cease this death-bell activity. There should be no who knows who when it comes to crime. If a police officer is to arrest her brother-in-law who has committed a crime, she must to do so because the law requires it. She must not do him a favor by turning her head.

We destroy the community and the law-breaking family member, or friend, by letting him slide. Government officials, community leaders, pastors, youth leaders are all responsible for upholding the law in spite of the relationship to the law-breaker. Too many people boast of having friends in high places as an excuse for doing wrong. Now we have a nation soaked in the putrefying lies of indifference and passivity.

Underneath the surface of our refined protocol of our tourism, church, and school environments, there is a malignant tumor that's about to crack the skin of national peace and expose its ugliness to the world. Unless we have radical surgery now to remove the tumor, we might be headed to an unexpected death of a nation we once loved. Making a difference Non-violence is a process.

First of all, parents hold the primary key to a non-violent nation. It is in the home where children learn the first skills of non-violence or violent behavior. It is not in the church or school. It is not in the yard shooting marbles. It is not on the corner basketball court. It's in the home. Mothers and fathers bear responsibility for the present condition of our nation.

Transforming violence to non-violence must begin with parents. Families form communities. Communities hold another key to this necessary transformation. K. Louise Schmidt in his book "Transforming Abuse" wrote, "Bringing nonviolence into communities is not a linear process. It is a process by which each step opens into another, creating new forms as it evolves. There is no strategy or final solution; each community needs to look closely at the resources already at hand and begin with a faith

that the tools we need are already with us. These tools are the ingenuity, determination, and basic living skills we all have. Our community can bind us together in non-violent efforts to create safe homes and communities." We must begin with accepting each Bahamian --black and white, rich and poor, literate and illiterate, male and female as equal. As long as we are divided across racial and economic lines, violence will remain. We must bring our resources from all sectors of society to create healing. Our goal is not to avoid conflict, but to prevent violence. We want to provide a safe environment to express opposition, to differ, to change, and to grow. All churches should come together to organize non-violence education programs

. Communities should provide wholesome recreational activities for youth. Special training should be given for communities and churches to coordinate divorce recovery groups, support groups for survivors of incest, young parenting groups, singles' clubs, married couples' clubs, support groups for men committed to a non-violent lifestyle, support groups for former criminals committed to peaceful lifestyles. The list can be longer. Call the police We have been sitting passively for too long. Are you ready fellow citizens to call the police and turn your relative in? Are you ready pastors and parliamentarians to admit the ugly shadow in your own home and call the police?

In 2006 I wrote these words: "Are you ready, fathers, to change your need to control? Are you ready, mothers, to deal with your denial and cover-up? Are you ready, teenagers, to shoulder your responsibility of decision-making in your own life? Are you ready, business people, to put your money where your mouth is? Are you ready, politicians, to speak out for justice even if it costs you your seat? Are you ready, pastors, to change your concept of leadership to servant-hood? Are you ready, Bahamians? Transformation from violence to non-violence is possible in our land when each transforms his/her life to peace and love."

o Barrington H. Brennen is a marriage and family therapist and board certified clinical psychotherapist, U.S.A. Send your questions or comments to barringtonbrennen@gmail.com; write to P.O. Box CB-13019, Nassau, The Bahamas; or visit www.soencouragement.org; or call 327-1980 or 477-4002.

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