Don't ignore kids affected by crime
Surrey Now
Published: Tuesday, February 24, 2009
The Editor,
Re: "Delta strike force uses flash-bang bomb in raid on home; six arrested," the Now online edition, Feb. 20.
We are all sickened by the violence that seems to be out of control in our city. Some of us have become fearful. Yet, there are those in our community where violence is all they have ever known. There are young children in our community who have been fearful their entire lives. Now, some of us can know in a small way how they feel.
We read the headline, but at the very end of the story is a little child that is directly touched by violence and criminal activity. They do not know any different. It is difficult enough for children raised in nurturing homes, what about the children without a decent drop of nurturing? Where will this child end up? What kind of life will they live as teenagers?
The same story, but reported in another paper [Surrey Leader], we see again at the bottom a hint of the insidious nature of violence - "two dogs taken by animal control." Violence affects every living being in a home: animal abuse, child abuse, spousal abuse, elder abuse. Now is the right time to use the community's anger, disgust and fear to help the people and animals that live with violence in their homes.
These criminals don't care about their own children and animals. But we do. Please join Semiahmoo Animal League Inc (SALI) and help abused and neglected children heal emotionally from trauma.
SALI's Farm will offer animal-assisted and horticultural activities that provide a haven for children, plants and animals to bond, learn and heal with one another. To stop the violence in our streets, we need to stop the violence in our homes.
Keryn Denroche
Surrey
Check out the SALI blog:
What of the small child and two dogs?