I am sick and tired of reading newspapers and listening to news bulletins about another family having to bury their sons and daughters due to a fight, which could and should have been dealt with forty years ago.

This past weekend is no different! Chad Arendse, a young man with a bright future and all the requisite qualities to end up a great leader within our community and society in general, was gunned down for no particular reason.

The sad reality is this, Chad will become just another statistic and will only be mentioned by some politicians and so-called community leaders hoping to attract some mileage out of his murder.

Over the years, I have written and pleaded with many key stakeholders, politicians and persons in positions of authority and law enforcement officers, to do more and ensure that our communities become safer for law abiding citizens.

Many innocent and well-intended people within our communities have spoken out, lead marches, held pickets, protested at parliament and pleaded with those in authority to do more to ease our plight.

Many politicians have promised more action, more resources and vigor in the fight against gangs, drugs and criminals in general, however, the facts speak for themselves.

The time has come for us, the people, to start a serious conversation about how we are going to take our communities back from these criminals and forward to prosperity, because those of us depending on politicians to do the right thing will long be in our graves.

Rozario Brown, email