Shape the youth
published: Sunday | December 21, 2003

THE EDITOR, Sir:

YESTERDAY, DECEMBER 15, I went into the Woolworth store in the Washington Boulevard Mall, just browsing. I was shocked and dismayed to find pencil sharpeners in the form of small toy guns.

Now, if we are to reduce crime, we have to start with the babies. I would have expected the buyers for Woolworth to have more sense than to allow such things to be sold in their stores. We need the customs officers to be vigilant at the wharves. We don't need to encourage and groom these young ones to be potential gunmen.

Every day I see young boys emulating kung fu characters, kicking and chopping at each other without the care that they can hurt one another. That is from watching too many of these violent cartoons. This Christmas, I am appealing to everyone not to buy toy guns for their children. This is where it begins to mould their minds and turn them into the gunmen they are today.

I am, etc.,

PATRICA HEATH

Old Harbour

colbeck1@yahoo.com