The Editor, Sir:

Oh yes, let's give the children condoms, they're having sex anyway. They're smoking too - let's give them cigarettes so that they don't smoke marijuana.

And, while we're at it, let's give them bulletproof vests 'cause we love 'em and don't want them to get stabbed or shot. Let's just give the damn kids what we think is best for them because the Bible is outdated and obsolete.

No rod for my child, I prefer him spoilt. Let's face it, no one is waiting until marriage before sex and what is good for the adult, must be good for the child.

Influenced by environment

Jamaica, we're doomed! We feed these children a diet of sin through television, cable, lewd music, Internet, our own bad behaviour, among other influences, then expect them to behave decently and humanely.

I always believe a child comes into this world innocent, and, apart from some behavioural patterns being genetic, they are shaped by their environment. I'm saying, if the environment is such where the majority of persons around that child behave properly, then - providing the child is not mentally handicapped - this child is likely to become a godly person.

So, the home environment is lame. But the environment in our schools is such that even if the child comes from hell, once he reaches the school gate he'll have to conform (even until he returns from whence he came), we'd experience better results.

I agree, some children cannot be changed no matter what. But for that purpose we have places of safety for uncontrollable juveniles and keeping them amongst those that really want to learn is grossly unfair.

Get back to basics

We probably need to get back to basics, or we'll be forced to. See, we'll soon be reaping what we're sowing now. Oh, my apology, we already are, I probably should say it'll get much worse.

And, finally, the slogan we had in the '80s about family planning - 'two is better than too many' - had it been a success, we'd be seeing less of an idle, lazy, bad-minded, awful set of young Jamaicans who are entertained by the destruction of each other. They are the result of too many unwanted pregnancies.

Okay, it's a democratic country. If we do decide to let them have condoms, I propose condom machines, where they insert coins (their own coins) and condoms come out. Put it in the primary schools too!

I am, etc.,

OMAR DUNCAN

cplduncanjukebox@yahoo.com

Ramble, Hanover

Via Go-Jamaica