Letter: I am ashamed I did not confront foul-mouthed youths on the bus

After a day of doing personal errands and appointments I decided to catch the bus home, finding my seat in front of a group of teens — or should I say young children, both male and female.

Any other time I may have referred to children of 15-years-plus as young adults, but what I witnessed today were the actions of unguided children.

With the use of fluent obscenities, any stranger would’ve thought the use of pervasive and foul language was normal.

I was uncomfortable. The people around me were uncomfortable, and even though I am still a young adult myself at the age of 22 years, I found myself in the midst of a group of hardworking adults shaking their heads.

I am ashamed. I am ashamed of the way these young teenagers carried themselves, disgracing the name of my former high school.

What I witnessed was not the blood of green and gold. I, as a former student knew that whilst we wore that uniform, we had pride, and now that my high school days have come and gone, that uniform is even more admirable than before.

No morals

These young adults have no morals. They believe cussing makes them an adult. The boys feel as if they are manly to be able to say these obscenities, but in fact they are merely fools with loose tongues.

In all of my 22 years of living I have not ONCE heard my father mutter or cuss to my mother, so why are these young females allowing themselves to be disrespected in such an ill manner?

If a male — boy or man — cannot respect you, how ever do you think he will know how to love you?

I am disappointed in myself for as I sat there my thoughts portrayed the exact words, and lecture I would articulate to them, yet I said nothing. As I sat there my heart knew exactly what needed to happen, but I found myself sheltering away in my own thoughts.

I feel like a coward. I feel disgraced for I knew what needed to be done yet I did nothing; just as the other 20-plus adults on the bus did nothing.

As I sat there I realized the issue — the problem that infects the community like a lethal virus tearing down the morals our elders once laid.

I realized as adults we may have become “fed up” over this issue, yet when the time comes we do nothing. We complain when the problem isn’t around, but when we are on the frontline we are hesitant.

I know back when I was their age, I am 200 per cent sure an adult would’ve slapped the spit out of my mouth — so why not now?

Laws may protect them, but when we need protecting from this growing problem do these laws work? No. We allow it to happen so therefore the problem continues to exist. We allow it to happen because we feel that it is not “our problem”.

I am ashamed. I am disappointed in myself and the actions that took place today. Something needs to give. Something needs to change.

I know for a fact, next time I won’t allow myself nor another elder to be disrespected.

Dejon A. Simons, Warwick