The Editor, Sir:

It would be of tremendous benefit for school children to be given a guided tour of the casualty department, observation room and emergency room at the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) or the morgue.

Earlier this year, I was shocked and saddened to see at the KPH the high number of young women, some in their teens, who had stab wounds on their heads, necks and faces.

A young woman, soaked in blood, was brought in unconscious. She was pronounced DOA (dead on arrival) by the police, who used the victim's cellphone to call someone she knew.

Assaults

A nurse said that usually these injuries were inflicted by their 'boyfriends'. She added that when these men visited, they would bring gifts, and the battered victims would be excited to receive the 'apology' for the assaults.

In a one-off case, a young woman shouted, "Murder, police, don't let 'im in ya" at the top of her voice. That said it all!

Are the majority of our children fated to be victims of violence and abuse? Are we going to continue to victimise and terrorise our children with indecency, slackness and brutish behaviour?

We should try to make this the easiest of all to control. Why have the 'two is better than too many' and other useful social programmes ceased? We need to show some backbone in defence of the young!

This nation has a lot to answer for - now! I would like to suggest a new compulsory subject for schools, that of 'character and reasoning' (for right behaviours) classes taught, interactively (maybe voluntarily by retirees) from the elementary level. Peace and love in Jamaica.

I am, etc.,

J. McINTOSH

Box 144, Kingston 8