Eewa… Petronella Sibeene Increasing numbers of people across the country believe that our society is in deep moral trouble and the disheartening signs are everywhere. Broken homes, violence against women and children, rampant greed, and just deterioration of civility in everyday life. True it might be but a coin always has two sides of equal value. Just this week, one of the Members of Parliament tabled a motion on the state of morality and the lack of respect for elders in this country. Yes, life has taken a different form. Unlike in the olden days when our parents respected the elderly of the time, the so-called modernity has turned us, especially the youths, into “creatures that are difficult to tame”. Our mothers, especially in African homes, taught us never to answer back when an elderly person is talking to you about the facts of life. There were situations when even a slip of the tongue would land you in troubled waters. At times understanding can be confused with logic, wrongs can be perceived right so long they have an explainable logical conclusion behind it no matter what – trivial, hurtful or disrespectful. Young people largely will and cannot deny the fact that our moral fibre has disintegrated. But every action has a root cause – it starts somewhere, affects someone and one learns from it. The sad reality is that the youth are today made scapegoats for what is happening presently, on top of all the bad manners we already have, “naturally”. I concur with the motion and Mushelenga’s words are in fact the truth and an ugly truth. But, the unfortunate reality is also that we have elders who have seemingly grown stagnant as far as growing up is concerned. Abuse of children and women, marriage breakdowns and cross-generational relationships are among the many ills in society which are not committed by young people if at all. There are many elders who behave like young people to an extent that you find them mingling with the youths at 4 am, a married man/woman. They drink together, share cigarettes, use vulgar language and even share partners. How do you earn respect in that instance? And still the moral question remains, who defines this morality? Is it a young person or an elder? Where are the people who are supposed to be “role models” when the young people are doing all that is considered immoral? Shouldn’t moral teachings start at home? The wise say, Charity begins at home. I just believe to a certain extent that morality is something that should be introduced the moment one comes out of his or her mother’s womb. There are parents who deserve great praise for trying to enforce that principle of discipline and what comes with it. On the other hand, there are some parents who are just not there at all. Children are left in the hands of a television, I-Pod, MP 3, play-station and a cellphone – honestly, what moral lessons can children possibly get from these things? To those parents, your presence is highly needed. And to the young people, we must sacrifice ourselves to the teachings of life. Eewa …