I say we shall always have native crime to fear until the native people of this country have worthy goals to work for. For it is only because they see neither purpose nor goal that they turn to drink and crime and prostitution. Which do we prefer, a law-abiding, industrious and purposeful native people, or a lawless, idle and purposeless people? The truth is that we do not know, for we fear them both. And so long as we vacillate, so long will we pay dearly for the dubious pleasure of not having to make up our minds. And the answer does not lie, except temporarily, in more police and more protection.
The quote highlights the deep-rooted issues of crime among native people, attributing it to a lack of purpose and worthy ambitions. The author suggests that when individuals are devoid of meaningful goals, they may resort to negative outlets like drinking, crime, and prostitution. This leads to a dichotomy where society is caught between preferring a constructive, law-abiding population versus a lawless, aimless one.
The author emphasizes that the fear of both scenarios comes from an inability to make decisive choices about how to address these societal issues. Simply increasing police presence and protection is viewed as a temporary and insufficient solution. Real progress will require addressing the underlying causes of discontent and providing the community with opportunities that inspire hope and purpose.
