Dear Editor,
Perhaps it was the first amusement for me in 2018 after witnessing quite an unusual occurrence. Around 7.30 one evening recently, I was in a bar when a gentleman and a toddler walked in and sat just next to me. Immediately the kid was adored by other patrons there and got offerings of whatever he wanted. Surprisingly though, the gentleman whom I later learnt was the father of the kid, called at the bar and purchased two Guinness. At first I thought he was being generous and was going to offer me one, even though I didn’t know him; instead he looked confident and proud as he handed the bottle to his son. I was stunned as the little boy drank the liquid; the father told me he was eighteen months old. He didn’t seem upset either as he sipped the liquid many times with some degree of expertise. The father said that the boy can drink as much as three Guinness whenever he is in the mood. It was just an amazing sight, and even the bartender was stunned. While I felt a sense of bewilderment at that point, it struck me too that parents in many instances act irresponsibly without knowing the consequences that their actions may have on their children later in life. In this case, is it an act of abuse or neglect?
Yours faithfully,
Elroy Stephney