EDITOR: This month is declared Child’s Month. According to Psalm 127: 3 “ Children are an heritage of the LORD.” All of us who are adults today were once a child.

So every child is very important and is a potential for greatness. Therefore, abortion can never be excused. There is absolutely no reason for abortion and it is a legal murder and should be punished.

Children we know are products from both mother and father. So as we celebrate Child Month it is very important that we look at some of the challenges children face. Time and space would not allow for much development of the challenges, suffice it to say that the role parents play in the lives of their children are very important.

Far too many children face abuse of various kind such as: verbal, physical, emotional and not forgetting sexual abuse. It is rather sad that many children are abandoned by their parents. Daddy is an absent figure and mommy sometimes neglect kids for one reason or the other. These abandoned kids are left to survive on their own. As a result some end up being drug pushers and criminals of various kinds. It is in my book a criminal offence for parents to abandon their child or children. Thus, leaving them to suffer and even commit crimes which may sometimes lead them to the grave yard or the prison or both.

It is common knowledge that many mothers ignore complaints by their child or children of sexual abuse by, in many cases, stepfather and in some cases fathers or close relatives. The mothers many times do this to protect the male perpetrator who in many cases is the main breadwinner, but in doing so, those children who are abused suffer emotional, phycological pains and may end up committing a serious crime, become prostitutes, commit suicide or later on, they themselves become abusers for the effect can last a lifetime.

Child abuse is very prevalent in our society and is one of the evils that is leading to crimes. Parents are placed by God to protect and serve their children, not to abandon, abuse or ignore them.

We must however, admire the many children who have risen above negative circumstances to become someone special. Some have even excelled to hold very high positions. It takes a strong willed child with a positive attitude to reach for the stars and become someone great. We must also give credit to the many parents who have been a good role model for their children and for those who have brought up their children well.

We must admit that in spite of the many negatives by parents, there are a vast amount of parents who have shown love and acceptance and wanted the best for their children. These parents we must give credit and as children be thankful to God for them and in doing so respect and take good care of them when they needed it.

I take this opportunity to encourage us all to be a good role model for children and love and be good to them. After all they are the future of tomorrow. The seed we sow as parents would germinate and bring forth fruit which will fall on the children. A good seed will bear good fruit, while a bad fruit is a result in most cases of a bad seed. It is therefore important that parents sow good seed.

Kennard King