Choices! What would it be? #41
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Hello, friend. This week's choice is spelt N E S T and pronounced as /nɛst/. There is more than one meaning for this word.
When I was younger, I understood this word to be “a home for birds”. Or a place where Mommy Birds lay their eggs. But on one of those cold mornings, I heard a neighbour talking about a case where a group of robbers were nipped in their nest by the police.
Curiosity got the better part of me. So I looked up the word “nest” in my mini dictionary. There I learned the word also referred to a “hideout for bad people; a den”.
The lady who narrated the story told us how these robbers hid in incomplete buildings whenever they were preparing for an operation or sharing the spoils gotten from those operations. That discovery made my young mind see every incomplete building to be a hideout for robbers. Including the ones on my street.
So disheartening!
Photo by Alexander Dummer from Pexels
Another moment I got to understand the word even better was while watching a short play on TV about a little child called Nneka. The little orphan girl who hawked fruits for her cruel aunt was gang ra.p.ed in an enclosed building with a big black gate. It so happened that one of the gang members bought her ware from her and invited her into the compound to get her money. The naive girl who was more interested in getting her aunt's money followed him blindly into the compound only to meet her waterloo.
My mindset changed once more. I understood a nest to either be an uncompleted building or an enclosed compound with high walls and thick black gates.
With age came wisdom and I realised that a nest or “a hideout for bad people” could be anywhere. It could be a public office, an area in the metropolis, a duplex, or even a forest like Sambisa. A kidnapper could use his father's compound to keep his victims as in the case of Uduak Akpan and Iniobong Umoren.
Unknown gunmen could disappear with the victim into thick forests as in the case of the Chibok and Dapchi school girls with Boko Haram agents.
Nests in this context are not necessarily incomplete buildings or ugly haunted houses. They are generally any place where bad people meet to plot their plans. These places serve as a haven for them to carry out nefarious activities without being detected. Most of their activities are too heavy for the mouth, let alone the fingers to type.
So, how can we spot these nests?
Photo by Alotrobo from Pexels
These places are disguised to look like ordinary areas.
The only way of finding out which is a “nest” for criminals is through thorough investigations by the police and other law enforcement agencies.
Now, you know that a nest could be a good place where birds lay their eggs or a bad spot where perpetrators of crimes hide to avoid being seen by the police. The only way these criminals can be busted is through investigations by appropriate units.
If you ever find a criminal's “nest”, be sure to report the case at the nearest police station for adequate investigations to be performed.
Written by @ukpono on 22 January 2024
Inviting
@yhudy and @pandora2010
Hello dear friend.
Curiosity is something natural for us but it helps us continue understanding things in life.
Thank you for bringing your participation.
Many blessings..🙏🏻
Hi @ukpono,
Thank you for contributing 10% of your post to support community growth.
It was interesting to go through your post. Such locations provide cover and help them carry out their illegal activities without any trouble from the law. Danger can be anywhere; therefore, it's better to always keep our safety in mind and inform the police to perform investigations.
Thank you for participating…..
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I wouldn't report people that easily. What we think we see is frequently coloured by our life experiences. There are many anonymous call lines which people use to harm others out of envy, revenge or because they can. I can't say I trust the police either or the one who answers the phone at 112 (911). My daughter once reported a young girl being harrassed by a group of guys and they refused to come. It was all outside on the street so not in their nest.
By the way it's not naive if you go to someone's house to receive your money. It is a normal thing to do.
In Dutch we use the word 'nest' as well and we have a third meaning for it which is 'bed'. It's only used if it's about a lazy person still in bed. Not friendly meant.
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Wow!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this. I'm glad to learn about your culture and how you interpret the word "nest".
About the police...there seem to be a decline in their effectiveness. We discussed this in class and how the police have a hard time responding to issues promptly.
Had to share this post with the hope that someone will reassure me that somewhere in this world, there is something like effective policing.
Sad how the negative seems to be the reality everywhere. Hopefully, things would get better and we would be able to trust the police to carry out their duties properly—which is to help curb crime while maintaining order.
If it's not here and I doubt it's anywhere. It feels more than luck if they help you out.
To put charges you need to fill out a form on the internet. Most cases they put aside. The police has, and always had excuses and it depends on the person if they discriminate.
Perhaps street will be saver if people guard them themselves?
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In my country, someone suggested making it legal for everyone to handle a gun. And though I understood that it was said out of concern due to the rising rate of insecurity, it left me worried because a law like that would only lead to rampage and carnage.
I want to agree that the street might be safer if people guard themselves. But thinking again, I've realised that individually or in an organised institution, no option is safer.
What we need now is an attitudinal reconstruction. And if the police can adopt this, our society would get better.
I'm enjoying this conversation. And I'm glad that you've engaged me in it.
I wish I had a gun. I would feel safer especially at home. On the other hand if I would take it outside I would easily pull the trigger if I bump into certain people. So I understand those Americans shooting at schools, malls and so on. At a certain point enough is enough
We should have the right to defend ourselves, our home, children but not even a pepper spray is allowed. On the other hand plenty of people have guns, knives use it, kill and get away.
It's a dilemma which I doubt the police can change. They work for the government although we pay their salary.
The moment will arrive policemen has to choose. They are not very popular, nowhere which says enough if not everything.
Perhaps lazy fat doughnut consumers like we see in American films are perfect to be sheriff or it's the perfect job for cowards (ignore what's going on) or narcisists and bullies?
Thank you for this discussion. Know you are not alone. Let's hope the world will be a better place. It would help if we, the people, stick together.
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Oh wow! I was not aware of this. It is very interesting.
Good luck with the contest!
Thank you.
English words usually have several meaning. That is why I love the language.
Then this week's contest of "I spy with my little eye" is just for you!
https://steemit.com/hive-139765/@patjewell/wednesday-i-spy-with-my-little-eye-mini-contest-80
Enjoy!
Congratulations!
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Good luck!
@patjewell
Thank you.
I'm glad that I took part in the contest. Enjoyed reading other people's thought on the topic I chose.
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