Drugs not the problem

September 15, 2010

Dear Sir,

I must comment on the article in today's paper regarding Craig Cannonier and his father's drug use. Being very familiar with schizophrenia and its treatment and having worked closely with schizophrenics, I sympathise with Mr. Cannonier and his upbringing as it must have been very difficult. However, laying the blame on drugs is specious reasoning at best. Many schizophrenics habitually use drugs, alcohol, and especially tobacco. It is a well-documented symptom of the disease. But to lay the blame for his father's problems on marijuana is an irresponsible interpretation of the facts. In my opinion, his father's marijuana use was not the cause of his problems, but rather a symptom of it.

In innumerable studies, the only correlation found between marijuana use and schizophrenia was in those who used massive amounts of it in their teenage years and carried on into adulthood. And even this link was nowhere close to a 1:1 correlation. Excessive alcohol consumption during teenage years (and indeed into adult years) can also lead to numerous well-documented health problems, yet the Government continues to tax it and we continue to enjoy it. Faulty reasoning such as Mr. Cannonier's is what has embroiled North America in its unwinnable war on marijuana. It's time for the public to start familiarising themselves with the facts and not just the rhetoric spewed forth by government officials. I personally think it's sad that we live in a society where I am afraid to attach my name to this letter, but unfortunately, that's the country we live in.

ANONYMOUS

Pembroke

True parenting

September 9, 2010

Dear Sir,

I do believe parenting is just like when you have a backyard garden to grow a few vegetables and fruits of your own. It's your responsiblilty to plant that seed and to water and nurture what comes up and to remove the weeds and parasites that may destroy and kill what you have planted, not your neighbour, not the Police and especially not the Government.

It is also your responsibility to feed and nurture the seed that you planted to produce a child. To be there every day to provide a safe and suitable growing environment. To be willing to take out those weeds and parasites that are not conducive to your child growing into the child that you want.

To not only be there on that first day when they start P1, but to be willing to be there for the next 13 years until he or she graduates from S4 at whatever school that they attend – private or public. Going to the PTA meetings, the parent teacher conferences and, on your lunch hour, instead of going to your local watering hole be willing to go and sit in on your child's class. Because until that time when they graduate from S4 at 18 they are your responsibility. Not your neighbours, not the Police, nor the Government's.

So wake up parents. If you want your child to be the child that you want at 18 then you have to be there for that child for the whole 6574 days – checking out their entire growing environment and making the necessary changes and removing the weeds.

So, yes, the buck stops with you parents. You get the child that you raise or do not raise. Take care of the gardens that you have planted. You and you alone are responsible. So what that means is that if we all start taking care of our own backyards and gardens our front yards and Front Street would be a much better place to live.

LESLIE JAMES SMITH

Sandys

Observing the Sabbath

September 10, 2010

Dear Sir,

Let's discuss the Sabbath, also known to some as the Lord's Day. The Jews, Muslims and the Seventh-day Adventist and others worship on Saturday or the Seventh Day. And the Jews and the Seventh-days believe that there should be no work done on that day. That it should be dedicated to the Lord and him only.

Most of the rest of the Christian community worship on Sunday the first day of the week. And even though they frown on work on that day, because there was a time when that was against the law to work on that day, times and laws have changed.

Let's get back to the seventh day keepers and their belief that there should be no work carried out on that day. In today's modern and global society that is an impossibility. For one thing there would be no seven-day cruises which both the Jews and the Seventh-dayers patronise. Imagine that hanging out with up to 5,000 sinners breaking the Sabbath. That sounds like collusion to me.

And how about the electricity that they use to conduct their services? Produced by people breaking the Sabbath. Bus drivers and taxi drivers that they use to get them to church on time.

How about the emergency services, like the hospitals, fire, ambulance. What happens when one of their homes catches on fire? Do they call one of the Sabbath breakers to come and put it out? Or do they wait until Sunday, or when there is a need for an ambulance. Do they dial 911? Yes, in both cases they call 911 for help.

Seems as long as it suits their interest than it is OK to break the Sabbath. Now what is it then? Is it OK to work on the Sabbath or not? In the Bible or the Torah it does not make any exception for the firefighter, ambulance driver, bus driver or the cruise ship worker.

Also if some of them work in some of those fields, why don't they agree to work one or two Saturdays out of the month to let their work colleagues worship on the Sabbath? That is not going to happen. You can't have your cake and eat it too.

So if you so strongly believe in your particular day than stop accepting the benefits coming from the ones that don't. Only go on three- or four-day cruises. Turn off the lights on Saturday. And walk to the church service on Saturday.

LESLIE JAMES SMITH

Sandys