Commentary

Love burns

TODAY'S LEAD HIGHLIGHTS a Haitian woman who doused hot oil on her cousin who she claims was having an affair with her man.

This is the second account in a week where persons are accused of using scalding oil to exact fiery revenge on their enemies.

It seems that hot oil has replaced the 'monkey lotion' or acid that warmongers of old used as weapons for decades.

However, it points to a greater and even older problem. If the allegations are true, it is a sad day when family members turn against each other over a relationship.

Blood is thicker than water, right? Not so in present times, it seems. The court houses are chock full of cases of fathers accused of killing sons, sons accused of killing fathers, sisters injuring each other, and now cousins fighting cousins over a man.

There was even a case when two church sisters were vying for the attention of the church pastor.

While many of these cases are due to discord in the family, a great number of the cases of 'assault occasioning harm', 'assault occasioning grievous bodily harm', 'wounding with intent' and the like are linked to a failed relationship or betrayal of a lover.

Ironically, in these love triangles, the two contenders for the man or woman's heart are at war with each other and hardly does one of the contenders look the way of the third party as the reason for their discord.