on June 8, 2024 at 9:21 am HOW I NEARLY GOT CRIMINALLY DEFILED AS A CHILD AND HOW MY PARENTS STRONG…​

HOW I NEARLY GOT CRIMINALLY DEFILED AS A CHILD AND HOW MY PARENTS STRONG BACKBONE FORTIFIED MY RESOLVE.

By Pearce Robinson

When I was a child, I could never understand why my mother forbade me from playing with toy guns of any kind, not even water guns, whether with friends or family. It baffled me. I used to wonder if she truly believed that a simple toy could transform me into a criminal and not going to lie. I thought it was stupid (Yes, boldface)

Looking back now, I realize she was right. I use to feel a deep sense of embarrassment and exclusion when I couldn’t join my friends in their games. However, as I matured, I came to understand the wisdom in her decision. During my teenage years, I indulged in video games like Call of Duty and even participated in paintball, which I found enjoyable. But in those formative years, the avoidance of toy weapons was crucial. I actually begun to truly understand the danger of real guns as that was harped into my head. I now believe that introducing children to weapons, even in play, can desensitize them and blur the lines between play and reality.

Growing up under somewhat strict parental rules, I had a very strange experience with a relative that I would never ever forget, a police officer at the time, who wasn’t even a blood relative, but certainly unruly. He disapproved of my parents’ strictness and, behind their backs, took me into the garden at our old house in Valsayn when I was not even seven years old. He handed me a real gun. At that moment, I was terrified. He forced the gun into my small hands, held them together, and made me pull the trigger, shooting a bullet into a harmless tree.

A loud shot reverberated and echoed throughout the suburban community. That one incident became, a revelation. It crystallized in my mind, why my mother was so adamant about keeping me away from weapons. People like this relative were not just irresponsible; they were genuinely dangerous. They treated real guns like toys, engaging in reckless behaviour that could have had catastrophic consequences. What if I missed the tree? One of my family members were walking by? Or what if the bullet had gone into the neighbours garden? Prior to that moment… we lived a peaceful life. Thankfully, my parents had ingrained in me the belief that guns were dangerous, even before this unlawful act that I committed by force. After being coerced into shooting the tree, I was shaking with absolute fear, a fear that I remember to this day. The loud bang left my ears ringing, birds scattered in panic, a coconut fell, and the tree oozed a sticky sap. Even at that tender age, my immediate thought was: WHAT IF THIS HAD BEEN A PERSON?

Everything looked painful and I immediately began to feel sorry for the tree, that did not deserve this and now it was bleeding. I never wanted to see a gun again!!!! I started acting out after that incident and even tried to set fire to my grandmothers antique vase. That same unruly relative who should never have been in a position of authority like this, now is trying to correct me. Excuse me?!!! WHO TF… I didn’t swear at the time. But I basically thought that… He said if I don’t stop misbehaving I will be imprisoned and he took me against my will on a reckless ride to outside to Golden Grove Prison, pointing from by the side of the road and saying that’s where I would be soon. If I’m not careful!! And here I am thinking in my head… THAT IS WHERE YOU SHOULD BE YOU CRIMINAL!!! Yes… everything I said here is totally true and happened in Trinidad.

So there are many factors that led to us eventually packing up and leaving officially in 1997. Incidents like this were among the many reasons. It’s crucial to recognize that associates, relatives, and even friends can be a danger to your children. Always be aware of who is around your kids, what they are doing, and if you have any suspicions or gut feelings, trust them. Protect your children from those who might corrupt their innocence. Never assume someone is trustworthy just because of their title or role; some police officers can indeed be CROOKS, CRIMINALS, and THUGS.

Fortunately, I grew up in an upper middle class type of environment in Trinidad and Tobago and had parents who were both highly educated, was trained by my father to have etiquette and table manners and to only sit when my mother comes to the table. I was fortunate to have no nonsense, focused and multifaceted and talented parents, who I’ve grown to respect and highly admire for their ability to navigate all of the nonsense that society throws, even within their own family structures and be successful. I’ve learnt from that and seek to share that with others.

So in the story of how we combat crime and criminality, it really does start at home. Shied our children and educate them. Don’t allow people regardless of their titles in society or their own entitlements to defile your children. Stand strong, firm and resolute and respond strongly to those who seek to undermine your parenting. I saw it first hand and I was glad that my parents got to me before this criminal relative did. That’s why I never respected this individual up to this day and that’s why this individual was put on an INTERPOL HQ list by me, following a report I made in 2020 after he sent me a death threat. He is lucky he didn’t travel, because he would’ve been snatched up!

Today, because of people like this. I don’t stand for crime and violence and work assiduously with local and international agencies to take down criminal syndicates. We all do have a part to play and often crime is perpetuated by those in authority, who are supposed to be there to FIX it, instead they try to UNFIX it and make it worse for their own criminals means and wrongdoings. Or perhaps mental health issues that need to be checked into.

Anyway…. I want you to consider this: if you grow up familiar with toy guns, their real counterparts might not seem as intimidating or out of place in stressful situations. Imagine a child in a troubled community, facing peer pressure or hardship, being handed a real gun. That familiarity, rooted in innocent play, could potentially lead to dangerous comfort with violence. In games, we’re taught that getting hit or hitting someone else is just a temporary setback, easily reset with a new round. This mindset could dangerously oversimplify the gravity of real-life violence.

As I’ve grown older and hopefully wiser, I see the value in my mother’s tough stance. Those seemingly stringent rules were vital. They helped shape a mindset that recognizes the seriousness of weapons and violence. Childhood is filled with pivotal moments that can steer us towards positive or negative paths. Interventions like my mother’s are not just about protecting us in the moment but about nurturing a deeper understanding and respect for the impact of our actions.