By Dawn Barrett, Contributor 
EVERY CHILD is a gift from God and with proper nurturing will become a citizen we can be proud of. Why then have so many parents set out to make pariahs of these potential leaders?
Just look around; what do we see?
We see babies who are sleeping on filthy bedding; children being tied to posts and beaten; children with cuts, burns and bruises all over their bodies inflicted by their parents; children not attending school; adult men having sexual relationships with their young charges and mothers who permit this to happen. I could go on.
All these atrocities are taking place right before our eyes and here in Westmoreland. Social workers and police officers have their hands full trying to rescue these children from the hell they are forced to call home. Pariahs are not born; their parents create them.
To ensure the safety of our children, the laws protecting minors need to be enforced. Children must be separated from their irresponsible parents and placed in less stressful environment, while their parents are mandated to get counselling.
Enforcing the law will bring its own set of challenges, but every agency, which deals with child protection needs to bring its full weight to bear on adults who unleash cruelty on defenceless children.
If parents require support, there are several groups offering parenting workshops and guidance and most churches have outreach programmes that can counsel both the parents and the children.
