THE EDITOR, Sir:
I READ an article recently of the shooting death of a young businessman at his workplace. While all murders are ghastly, what makes this one sadder is the fact that at the age of 30, this man has died, leaving nine children behind.
The oldest child, according to the article, is about nine or ten. It tells me that he must have had this child when he was still in his teens. In one section of the article, it was stated that three of the baby mothers turned up "looking solemn faced," which is understandable because they now have the responsibility of bringing up these children on their own.
In my opinion, 30 years old is pretty young to have nine children and I would like to implore our young men to take more responsibility when going into a relationship at such a young age. You must know something about sex education.
There are countless public service announcements on the radio and television, warning of the consequences if one renders himself or herself careless. It is not just that the woman might get pregnant but you are also opening up yourself and others to deadly infections such as HIV and AIDS.
It is now the norm in our society to hear our young men bragging about how many "yute dem have" or how much "baby madda". To me this does not show their strength, but their weakness. It shows a blatant disregard for womanhood and the lack of serious thinking about their lifestyle and family planning.
I would like to say to our young women that it is not always cool to be seen around town with the "big man"; remember you are just one of many. While they may be able to offer you a temporary solution to your money or housing problem, you must also remember that when the babies come, they are going to become your responsibility for at least 18 years.
Don't try to hold on to a man by giving him a child. Don't allow your life to become one of instant gratification, because he supplies the "bling" and all the hotness you crave. Instead, take the opportunity to send yourself back to school, learn a skill then seek employment. Self-empowerment is a wonderful thing. Respect yourself and don't be satisfied in just being one of the mothers. Remember that if this man should die, so does your source of income, and then it will be up to you to find the food and clothes, somewhere to live and also schooling for the children.
It is not often that men will take up the mantle of taking care of another man's child. The article concluded by quoting an eyewitness as saying that the children that the deceased left behind were so young that, "one can't help the other." Sad!
I am, etc.,
JACQUELINE WRIGHT
jamline66@yahoo.com
Mandeville, Manchester
