Appeal for a better Benoni by means of Doing:
“All that is required for evil to prevail is that good men (people) do nothing”.
That’s an old adage that has been used many times and quoted by many, but I doubt that most who quote it actually take heed of what they are saying.
We, in Benoni, have the makings of a crime-free society or, at the very least, a society with a drastically reduced crime rate. How so?
Well we have a close-knit community who, for the most part, actually care about each other.
We have a genuinely caring and involved police service (yes, we do) and we have, within the community, a fantastic group of people called the CPF (Community Policing Forum).
Not to mention many good private security firms and individuals alike.
I have read feverishly passionate comments by the community on a number of Facebook posts, twitter feeds and groups, calling for action, condemning and even threatening action.
All good comments, originating from good hearts, but that’s where it stops.
The threat of action or merely stopping at words doesn’t achieve nearly as much as could be achieved with participation.
Last night I found myself drenched, in the rain, in a suburb in Benoni, surrounded by about six good men (good men in the sense of my opening statement), struggling to remove a tree that had fallen right across a street, on a corner that would have posed a physical threat to any who may not have noticed the tree.
Now, none of us who were there lived in that neighbourhood, the tree was spotted while we were trying to find a vehicle that had been stolen minutes before, but we called it in and within minutes we had members there to assist.
So why do I mention this? Not for gratification or for a pat on the back, and I know the other gents who were there don’t expect it either, but I mention it because as I was standing there, dripping wet, I couldn’t help but be overwhelmed with absolute pride in the community (the good men) who had come out to assist.
And assist nobody in particular, just the community as a whole.
As I stood there, I couldn’t help wondering what Benoni could actually be like if everyone got involved.
Can you imagine?
We need more good men (people), not just in Benoni, or Gauteng, but all over.
Please, don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone, don’t be afraid to lend a helping hand, don’t stop merely at conversation about how bad crime is.
Results are achieved by doing, and results are required to keep our little town beautiful.
To be clear, I am an active and participating member of the CPF (as active as I can be given my personal situation and available time allowances – nowhere near as active as some and not as active as I should be), however the commentary I express above is my personal opinion only and is not necessarily the views of the CPF, its exco or members.
I really feel that, if everyone who said they could, actually did, we would be looking at our lives in a very different and positive way.
A heartfelt thanks to all of those good men and women out there who are doing the doing, be that regular community members, CPF, SAPS, local security or anyone else for that matter.
Carry on doing.
