Sunday, October 12, 2025
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Ghetto Mentality

Are the so called ghettos responsible for the current crime situation and the loss of so many young lives in this small country? Before that question can be answered there are quite a few areas that must be preliminarily explored, including how we misunderstand what the word ghetto originally meant. With the advent of African American culture seeping through the emerging rap music back in the 70s came the beginning of the over utilization of that word (ghetto) and what it would mean later for black lives. There is a credible theory that the infiltration of that word in black culture was orchestrated, but that is a discussion for another day. ‘Ghetto’ originally seems to have been a word used to describe a European settlement where individuals of low economic means were forced to dwell What has happened since the “infiltration” into the United States is akin to the glorification of those so-called ghettos in song and, through music, the lifestyle of some who actually live in those areas. It has been said time and time again that if the US sneezes the Caribbean gets a cold. No truer statement can be made as it relates to the transportation of ills to our shores. In large measure we have adopted the ghetto posture with magnificent ease, some believe, and this is widely responsible for the state of our small country as it relates to crime and the degradation of many of our social norms. Some may be tempted to push back on this thinking with the suggestion that our “ghettos” came into existence simply because of poverty. While that may be a factor, it is not the issue at hand. What is important is the evolution that has taken place over the last 20 years. It has been said that some of the individuals who live in the so-called ghettos are not so poor, making it a choice to be there. And what of the young individuals who live elsewhere but socialize there. Then we must answer this burning question – From where do the majority of young crime victims originate? The Royal St. Lucia Police Force {RSLPF} recently revealed the 2025 Serious Crime Analysis Report at a specially convened press conference at its headquarters. While the RSLPF information did not speak of specific communities it did address districts. Nationally, Castries and environs was the scene of approximately 50% of murders and approximately 50% of our murder victim were 20-30 years old. There can be quite a few takaways from these and other figures but for us one of the relevant takaways is that the ghetto lifestyle has now seemingly become immensely attractive and has unfortunately drawn a huge portion of our young citizens. The mentality that everything can come easy or through ill-gotten means is a mentality that has permeated our social structure and more so, especially the young. We rest with a simple summary that is irrefutable. Our citizens who are predominantly from certain communities are dying in wholly unacceptably large numbers through violent and, more specifically, gun related crimes while they are in their twenties.

VP Digital •
Ghetto Mentality
Are the so called ghettos responsible for the current crime situation and the loss of so many young lives in this small country? Before that question can be answered there are quite a few areas that must be preliminarily explored, including how we misunderstand what the word ghetto originally meant. With the advent of African American culture seeping through the emerging rap music back in the 70s came the beginning of the over utilization of that word (ghetto) and what it would mean later for black lives. There is a credible theory that the infiltration of that word in black culture was orchestrated, but that is a discussion for another day. ‘Ghetto’ originally seems to have been a word used to describe a European settlement where individuals of low economic means were forced to dwell What has happened since the “infiltration” into the United States is akin to the glorification of those so-called ghettos in song and, through music, the lifestyle of some who actually live in those areas. It has been said time and time again that if the US sneezes the Caribbean gets a cold. No truer statement can be made as it relates to the transportation of ills to our shores. In large measure we have adopted the ghetto posture with magnificent ease, some believe, and this is widely responsible for the state of our small country as it relates to crime and the degradation of many of our social norms. Some may be tempted to push back on this thinking with the suggestion that our “ghettos” came into existence simply because of poverty. While that may be a factor, it is not the issue at hand. What is important is the evolution that has taken place over the last 20 years. It has been said that some of the individuals who live in the so-called ghettos are not so poor, making it a choice to be there. And what of the young individuals who live elsewhere but socialize there. Then we must answer this burning question – From where do the majority of young crime victims originate? The Royal St. Lucia Police Force {RSLPF} recently revealed the 2025 Serious Crime Analysis Report at a specially convened press conference at its headquarters. While the RSLPF information did not speak of specific communities it did address districts. Nationally, Castries and environs was the scene of approximately 50% of murders and approximately 50% of our murder victim were 20-30 years old. There can be quite a few takaways from these and other figures but for us one of the relevant takaways is that the ghetto lifestyle has now seemingly become immensely attractive and has unfortunately drawn a huge portion of our young citizens. The mentality that everything can come easy or through ill-gotten means is a mentality that has permeated our social structure and more so, especially the young. We rest with a simple summary that is irrefutable. Our citizens who are predominantly from certain communities are dying in wholly unacceptably large numbers through violent and, more specifically, gun related crimes while they are in their twenties.
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