THE EDITOR, Sir:PLEASE PERMIT me to share with your readers a few insights from a child's world.
I hate it when adults say, 'Don't speak to me that way, I'm not a child!'
I always wonder why they think it is all right to speak to me that way.
I don't understand why when people go to heaven or become guardian angels adults cry for days and look so sad. Some do not even eat. It must be a sad thing to go to heaven or become an angel.
I do not know why I am expected to sit for hours on benches or chairs that were made for adults. My poor little feet can't touch the floor. I wonder how they would behave if they had their feet dangling for even half an hour.
I hate it when adults talk about me as if I am not even there. 'My, she looks so much like your older daughter Sue. It's only that Sue's hair is not so short. She got the kinky hair from her father, but Sue got the pretty hair from you.'
When I am with adults, I detest being ignored when we are joined by adults who proceed to give the latest news about the neighbours as if they think that I am not there, or that I cannot understand what they are saying.
Above all, I am very suspicious of all this talk about the 'rights of a child'.
I often hear that rights and responsibilities go together. Does this mean that I have responsibilities too? I always thought that I was too young to have responsibilities.
When I grow up, I am going to change everything so that all children become the responsibilities of adults, and all delinquent adults will be punished.
I am, etc
WINNIE ANDERSON-BROWN
winab@cwjamaica.com
Bagatelle District
Ashley P.A.
Clarendon
