To The Reader’s Forum:

How can a pin wheel save an abused or neglected child? Can awareness of such situations save any of them? How does that work or how has it worked? I am sure there was some good intentions in such ideas but intentions pave the way to you know where and I’ll bet that not one child has been saved by one pin wheel or by awareness. I am trying to understand why or even how such ideas make it past the approval of the groups that dreamed them up let alone put into practice. For me they make no sense. I have seen the reality of the brutality towards children and so have you in the news far too often. So far there have not been any realistic solutions beyond arguments on gun control, sex abuses, starvation and gross neglect on children by those responsible for keeping them safe. I see no action towards any solution. Can government solve such problems? Yes, but indirectly.

Senator Young has introduced the Child Victims Reconciliation and Compensation Fund in the Senate, (P-J editorial 6/3/18). This of course is an “after the fact” and will do nothing for the here and now. The State of New York has a responsibility to protect resident children from harmful situations, which begs the question of how.

Since the clasp of our culture script, many parent(s) lack the capabilities to parent, some because they have no family or extended family who can teach them how, some are on drugs or alcohol and too many because they lack the necessary abilities to parent and the children suffer. As a community this must concern us all. But what can we do?

I would suggest several different approaches for minor children who are addicted to drug and alcohol and for all abuses of children. Senators Young, Rep. Reed, and Assemblyman Goodell must be a part of discussions and look and produce funding needed. Give the pinwheels away and replace them with action. I would like to see more discussions and suggestions here in this forum that make sense. Surely, we the people of this community can come up with better solutions.

Audrey E. Shelgren

Kennedy