Children are not trophies

THE EDITOR: It must be a real stress to be a child today in Trinidad. No matter rich or poor, Laventy or Westmoorings, parents are stressing out their poor offspring. I suspect this is so because life has really become a frustrating thing for some adults. You see some people have so much money and they have already bought the “most bestest” house and cars for themselves. Never mind that they vie with each other to outdo in the outrageous range of colours that they paint their houses, or that their cars are of the multi-story variety. That apparently is not good enough as not enough people are noticing, so it is on to the children to gain some cheap fame.

First is Carnival. These parents take the newest-born and dress them in the most garrulous costumes. Then they parade the little things in the hot sun on stage; of course the parents have to carry them, as most cannot walk properly. Those who, bless them, can walk, feel tired quickly and want to get out of those ungainly clothes. Now Easter time is here and instead of the accent placed on the real reason, namely the Christ story, we have the Easter Bunny taking over.

Just the other day these same parents had been coming out of Movie Towne weeping with feeling after seeing the Passion. Now is the same overdressing and parading as Carnival. I wish some enterprising lawyer could take up the case of the psychologically abused children and remove them from the ambit of these crazy people who would call themselves parents. Better yet, someone should seize the parents and put them in those silly clothes and then parade them in front of the equally silly media!

SUE SANKAR
Chaguanas