EDITORIAL
It is expected that daddy/Pastor would take THE FAMILY to church every Sunday and to every major church-related event. With this dual male role, he would be the real family man at home and away from home. He would be the leading parent at meals and at family prayers, and, without mistrusting his children, he would feel free to take a peep into the closet to see what kind of clothing they may have bought on their own.
The fourteen year old female (child) has put her daddy/Pastor and family in the spotlight, has put her country in the spotlight just as the month of May is to be observed as “Child Month”. He is not even ashamed or embarrassed to come to his daughter’s defense for her crude performance at the night club while he and mom were in bed probably after an evening of bible class at his church.
He said that his 14-year-old daughter “likes dancing and won a competition” and that she “was not in control of the situation”. He obviously knew and approved of the child’s outing to the night club. More than half of the photographs posted on line of the child were taken before and probably long before the night club show; so daddy/Pastor must have known or even seen these pictures, must have seen and known about the 2-inch long sexy skirts and topless, must have known about or probably seen the jewels on the navel and the tattoo on the lower back.
Now that the business is exposed, daddy/Pastor appeals to the media for a ‘let up’, that he and his wife are depressed and are seeking psychiatric counseling, and only now the child is embarrassed and depressed and the family wants to be left alone and are retaining legal counsel. What is the purpose of all this? Isn’t it now abundantly clear that the 14-year female (child) is accustomed to that way of life not unknown to her parents, and so are hundreds of other children (male and female) from their country and other countries?
Child Month has to be speaking directly to situations such like these. It can hardly be denied that many “children” of the nation are allowed to engage in adult activities , with the knowledge and even the encouragement of their parents and guardians.
This makes the task of the prominent voices very difficult, the voices of those “crying in the wilderness”. The daddy/Pastor is also an indication of the great contradiction and the high level of hypocrisy that can cloud these prominent voices.
Ever so often rhetoric is failing to take the beam from their very eyes before they can see to take the mote from someone else’s eyes. There will be so much talk this month in a bid to addressing children’s issues but the great wonder is always how far will this go. Child abuse in all its forms is always a recurring theme as the prominent voices call for respect for the nation’s children.
As Grenada and the world celebrate Child Month this May, a special call goes out to the “white collar hypocrites” to be sincere and honest and to begin with themselves; that the prominent voices with families should first begin with their children. Parents and guardians are called upon to allow integrity and morality to be a step ahead of a few dollars even in tough economic times for many.
They must continue to monitor their children closely, checking their closets for the clothing and their schoolbags for the weapons. They must insist on respect from their children in terms of conversations and decisions, be strong enough to correct the children whenever necessary; and all these must be done in love and in a caring and friendly environment.
