The story of the shooting at a nightclub on the weekend should be enough to concern every citizen of this country.

Stories published in both THE STAR and The Gleaner read like scenes from a war movie.

Stories such as this, are true reflections of the reality in which we live and the level of criminality and lawlessness that has taken over our country.

Whether we want to admit it or not, it is becoming obvious that the issue of crime cannot, and will not, be dealt with overnight. Each person, therefore, needs to take extra precaution in order to ensure his or her own safety instead of relying solely on the authorities to protect us. As we can see, that has not been working.

We need to realise and accept that it is simply not safe or wise to go to certain places anymore and we need to teach our children the same thing. Every family should have a series of safety rules that each member is expected to follow, whether it includes always making someone aware of your whereabouts or checking on friends and relatives to make sure they have arrived safely at their intended destinations.

If we have not yet realised, gunmen have launched a war against decent law abiding citizens and it is up to us to defend ourselves and keep ourselves from harm. We may not be able to prevent everything, but we shouldn't make it easy for them.