Dear Editor,

I guess I should not be surprised at the amount of comment, vitriol, and upset generated by Minister Ronald Thwaites’ use of the very apt Jamaican term “leggo beast”.

Apart from the fact that we, once again, take every opportunity to turn serious matters into political footballs, I think too many of us are missing the point of the minister’s argument. Our children from all walks of life are in a serious crisis — bullying; stabbings; fighting; disrespect of self, others and authority are the order of the day in many of our schools. Pick up any newspaper, talk with any stressed-out teacher, ride on public transportation, or take a walk by any of our public schools. The minister is asking for parents and guardians/other responsible adults to take responsibility for the way our children are behaving. This cannot be left up to the school and the peer group. Children do not raise themselves, even when too many of us leave them to raise themselves.

We have a responsibility to bring up our children in ways that will help them to flourish and will redound to the flourishing of our larger society. This demands that we provide the requisite guidance and lovingly instil in our children discipline and respect. Sadly, too many of us continue to fall short and are letting loose on our society nothing short of “leggo beasts”. There are numerous stories from across the globe of children being raised by wolves, cats, monkeys. These children grow up wild like their animal surrogate parents — more wolf-like than human. It does lead me to wonder if our feral children, those behaving like “leggo beasts”, may not simply be a reflection of those of us who raise them.

Anna Kasafi Perkins

drperks@gmail.com