Prime Minister Bruce Golding has charged the youths of Jamaica to take responsibility for themselves and their future, despite the negatives left by an older generation.
"We have put some very bad, rough wickets on which you have to play the game of life. I think we must acknowledge that we have been responsible for too many deficiencies in how young people are brought up, in how they are socialised, in the circumstances in which they live, in the lack of adequate opportunities that are available for them," he said.
Golding, who was speaking at the Prime Minister's Youth Awards for Excellence at Emancipation Park on Sunday, said the older generation should accept responsibility and apologise to the young people, because they have provided bad examples on too many occasions.
Not an excuse
He noted, however, that young-sters should not use the failures of the adults as an excuse not to achieve. "Do not use that as a cover, as a basis for wallowing in self-pity. Do not, because we have let you down in so many respects, turn around and decide that, well, you can't make it and, therefore, you must spend the rest of your life blaming others," added Golding.
He said those who were nominated must have confronted cases that were difficult, and had occasions when they doubted if they could succeed, yet they stuck to the task, took responsibility, and gave their all.
"They took responsibility for themselves, they recognised that their own future rests more in their hands than it rests in the hands of anyone," declared Golding of the nominees.
He said while schools might be deficient, that should not be an excuse for not learning. Golding said young people should take their work seriously and do their assignments, as well as read to acquire more knowledge, even after leaving school. As for the family situation, he said they can take charge to set the example and improve their circumstances.
-K.W.