The Editor, Sir:

I felt extremely compelled to pen this letter after the news broadcast aired on September 30 about yet another of our society's children dying senselessly at the cruel hands of someone with a very sick mind.

These debased, four-legged genetic deficits that walk the streets of our beloved country masquerading as humans must be stopped immediately!

I am a parent of two very young boys, and I worry constantly about the kind of world they are going to inherit, as the tentacles of crime are far-reaching, and hold no prejudice to class, colour, race or creed.

How many more of our children have to be slaughtered before we take drastic action?

Rights of children

These are the fundamental issues that need to be addressed - not the bureaucratic nonsense about which party said what, and who should apologise to whom.

This is the time for all our leaders to accept full respon-sibility for the solution of this escalating issue.

Lest we have forgotten our children's rights, and our responsibility to them, let this serve as a reminder:

We hold these truths to be self-evident:

That each newborn infant is the most perfect and helpless of all the creation;

That each newborn is as individual as the stars of our universe;

That each newborn has the inalienable right to be born wanted, loved and protected; and while growing to maturity within and without the womb that every measure possible, as is known, be undertaken to afford the very best environment, nutrition and opportunity for growth and development;

That proper shelter, nutri-tion, clothes, education and health measures be provided for each child to assure that each, with maturity, can assume the full responsi-bilities of adulthood and citizenship;

That the personhood of each child can be fully appre-ciated and that each be informed of all matters including health as he or she grow in intellect and in capability; and that he or she learn to be involved, as maturity allows, and to participate in all decisions concerning his or her well-being;

That when and if correction is deemed necessary, it will be applied with the greatest of respect and care without mental or physical abuse;

That we shall as a society make every effort to establish for the children of today a firmer footing than we have ourselves enjoyed in all ways;

That we have witnessed from the very mistakes of nature much that has greatly benefited all of mankind and that infants and children with birth defects shall be our responsibility to rear to the fullest potential possible that they, too, shall share the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness which is their birthright;

And that we fully realise that the level of civilisation attained by any society will be determined by the attention it has paid to the welfare of its infants and children.

Therefore, in full awareness of these truths, we vow upon our honour and all we hold to be sacred to do our very best to bring about a better world for those who succeed us in order to repay our predecessors for our very own gift of life.

I am, etc.,

ERICA BARLEY COKE

ericacooke@rocketmail.com

3 Carolyn Close

Graham Manor

Via Go-Jamaica