What Of Our Aging Population?

Avesi Kalokalo, Ba

Prisoners are treated extremely well in our correction facilities. The latest – phone privileges to call home and loved ones.

Three square meals a day, extracurricular activities and for those serving longer sentences, work and education is even provided.

The Yellow Ribbon initiative is definitely working, and I have no objections to the cause. I also understand all is footed by taxpayers, the latest $55 per day.

Life is so good in prison that it could be possible that some inmates reoffend just to get back in.

My concern is for the homeless, who literally live on the streets, most of them senior citizens.

You find them in almost every town. These were once law abiding, regular taxpayers in their prime life. It is rather tragic to see their ending as such. But the irony is clear.

Those who break the law, do damage to the lives of citizens and infrastructure serve time luxuriously, but on the other side of the wall those who have lived productively and contributed positively in society and country, are left literally homeless.

I hope that it’s not just because it is just a handful of them, we can turn a blind eye to their clear and obvious plight.

Parents are the responsibility of their children in their old age. But at national level, I believe the government of the day can work something out to take everyone off the streets.

Maybe, inmates’ bills should be sent to their respective families or sureties so Government can save that chunk of money and honour our aging population. This could also be a deterrent for those wishing to reoffend.

We cannot entirely wipe out crime, but it may just make inroads to the battle. A little change in statistics is a lot of taxpayer money saved and we would sleep better at night knowing everyone is indoors.

Immediate Action Needed

Shivneel Chandra , Tavua

As a concerned citizen of this country, I would like to raise my concerns on the death of two young boys in Sigatoka.

Just a week of school holidays has ended and two school students have lost their treasured lives. It is quite horrifying and ghastly to listen that such young and innocent children are dying in a tragic way. It could have been avoided.

Thus, this sorrowful incident is an alarming call to all the parents, and caretakers of children to undertake proactive measures on the safety of their children.

Monitoring them repeatedly, accompanying them for visitation purposes and most vitally disconnecting them from animus peers and friends who may mislead them to a dangerous path.

Conclusively, parents should also teach their children appropriate safety rules and ethical behaviour during hazards which may be very handy to these young minds in the absence of parents.

Finally, it is mandatory for responsible individuals (parents and caretakers) to take ACTION IMMEDIATELY in order to avoid such impending incidents leading to loss of valuable lives.

Park Upgrading Contribution

Niko Rayawa, Lautoka

I took time to have a peek at the almost completed stadium with its tracks. The embankment end looks beautiful with grass all over it.

As I walked towards the hospital end, I noticed that the tracks was too close to the fence and likewise the road. Why don’t we close that portion of the road so as to allow the extension and perhaps a pavilion?

The residential lots nearby could use the other street as an access. Cathay Hotel’s back gate and the dental clinic shouldn’t be affected by this closure. Let’s make it different.

Learn From Mistakes

Savenaca Vakaliwaliwa, Canada

Congratulations to the South Africa 7s team for defeating the Vodafone Fijian 7s team fair and square in the opening leg of the 2016/17 HSBC World Sevens Series, Dubai Sevens final.

The beauty of the sevens game is that anything can happen in 14 minutes and normally the team that controls the ball and turn it into points would win the match.

Our boys will realise this when they watch the replay. They threw the win away because they lost control of the ball.

One try scored by South Africa was through a quick start when a penalty was awarded and the ball was quickly spun out to speedster Senatla.

Fiji could have retained the Dubai title, but South Africa just played the game right and smart.

In Cape Town this week, the home team will be favourite to retain their title, but I believe that our boys – if they learn from their mistakes in Dubai – are capable of taking away their title, the same way they took away ours.

But the Cape Town title would be a sweeter victory if our boys remain consistent and win the tournament, in front of the South African home crowd.

Go Fiji, go!

Feedback:  jyotip@fijisun.com.fj