Let us protect our children

The first was the tragic killing of the 15-month baby in Mayaro, Zaria and the shooting of her 15-year-old mother Kadisha. We are concerned about the care and welfare of the children and the quality of life they receive. How, when and where did this girl conceive this child?

Did her mother/parent/guardian know of the circumstances and were these reported to the authorities? We are asking all these questions to find out whether the adults and the authorities are aware of what is going on all around us. We must put measures in place (or enforce them if we have them) to protect our young girls and boys from treacherous adults. We have to start now in our homes and in our schools to protect our unsuspecting youths.

The way we treat our children in this country is now being discussed at the international level and we have to try and put better measures in place to do this.

The second issue that was of great concern and a disappointment to us was the motivational talk given by Ms Wendy Fitzwilliams to the students. Was Ms Fitzwilliams telling the girls that it was alright to have sex before marriage, to have a child without being married and to raise a child alone? These are some of the reasons for the breakdown of family life in our society.

We are concerned that too many times our young people are subjected to views of adults that do not guide them into making the right choices. What Ms Fitzwilliams did was wrong and she should not have been invited to talk to young impressionable teenagers.

As a Christian, Ms Fitzwilliams should be careful how she exercises her freedom and I refer to four verses in 1 Corinthians 8: 9-12 which are very appropriate at this time not only for Ms Fitzwilliams but all persons who are in charge of young people, who are professionals and who are our role models. "Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. For if anyone who sees you who have this knowledge won’t she be emboldened to do likewise. So the weak sister for whom Christ died is destroyed by your knowledge. When you sin against your weak (younger) sister in this way and wound her weak conscience, you sin against Christ."

We have to be careful about the messages and the signals that we send to our young people. Let us get better role models for our young people, — young men and women who have excelled not only in one discipline, but also in their normal everyday lives.

We have to get persons who have set themselves high ideals and values by which to live. We cannot say one thing and yet do another. Young people are aware of all that is going on around them and if we always insist on what is honest, true, pure and holy they too will follow in our footsteps.

So parents, guardians and all adults in our society let us set the pace for our young people — they are watching what we do and listening to what we say.

MARGARET MAXWELL

St Clair