‘Allow Children Their Innocence and Childhood’…Children’s Advocate Pleads

Children’s Advocate, Mary Clarke, in an impassioned and emotional plea this afternoon (Feb 13), called on members of the broadcast, music and entertainment business, to clean up the music business to allow children to enjoy their childhood and their innocence.
Mrs. Clarke was addressing members of the music and entertainment industry, at a special meeting called by Prime Minister Bruce Golding, this morning at Jamaica House, to discuss concerns about the negative messages being portrayed through the music .
“I want you to visualise what you want the children of this land to become and how you want them to behave, and to bear in mind that they live what they learn. They look to you as role models. They take what you say as gospel, perhaps more even more so than the church”, Mrs. Clarke pleaded.
Endorsing an earlier statement by Education Minister Andrew Holness, that the first action must be to protect our children as they do not have a frame of reference to analyse information that relates to obscenity and profanity, Mrs. Clarke reminded the culture agents that children lived what they learn.
“Our children are imitators and are unable to sift through the negative messages being imparted through the music, so if you tell them about ‘daggering’, that is what they will imitate, without even understanding what they are doing”, she said.
Mrs. Clarke disclosed that debate is now underway on a Child’s Pornographic Bill and that members of the public should take an interest and scrutinise to what extent it will take into account concerns about the issues, as they relate to protecting our children. She said it is also the responsibility of citizens to get a copy of the draft bill so that they could have an input in the recommendations to be made in the interest of protecting our children.
Mrs. Clarke welcomed the move by Prime Minister Golding, to call the meeting and for the interest demonstrated by the Minister of Culture, Olivia ‘ Babsy’ Grange. in bringing together the movers and shakers in the industry to discuss the issues of concern.