The Editor, Sir:

It is really distressing to see the negative effect that the dancehall culture continues to have on our children, and it is even more distressing to see that there are mothers like the ones mentioned in Monday's article, who see nothing wrong with children engaging in adult activity.

One of these mothers even had the nerve to call upon her daughter to sing 'Wine Pon Di Edge' for The Gleaner reporter as if it were a nursery rhyme.

Numbing them to death

Have we taken complete leave of our senses? Why do these people believe that it is all right to rob children of their innocence and their childhood? These are the same types of parents who take their children to crime scenes to view dead bodies, thereby making them numb to death and gore.

Dr Hope cannot be serious when she says that children might not fully understand what the lyrics of these songs mean.

I strongly suggest that she undertake some 'formal research on the impact of dancehall on children' because my 'informal research', coupled with reports from teachers in primary and prep schools, speaks volumes about the irreparable damage done to many of our children by the dancehall culture.

This problem has existed for far too long and has not been seriously addressed by any administration.

Let's see whether the current one will finally tackle the issue, because whether we want to believe it or not, it is very much linked to the current problems we are having with crime and poor academic performance.

I am, etc.,

KAREN HENRY

Portmore