When I read the article 'Painful memories - tears water Secret Garden' featured in The Gleaner yesterday (January 6), I was more than disappointed.

I was devastated when I read that this monument stands as a reminder of the more than 450 children who died under violent/tragic circumstances in the last five years. I have never been to the site of this monument because five of the names on the list were children that I knew personally and I see their parents grieving their deaths each day as if it just happened.

Yes, I know of the monument's existence because I live downtown Kingston near where it is located, but I learnt the figure only yesterday and I share the same view as the 13-year-old child quoted in the story: "This is really sad".

Can you imagine who among the 450 might have been teachers, lawyers, doctors or good farmers? I hope that seeing this monument and hearing this figure of more than 450 killed will be a wake-up call to all those criminals who are abducting, raping, and killing our children. They need to know that it is time they stopped killing our children.

I am, etc.,

FELISA JACKSON

Felisa_Jackson@yahoo.com