Editor:
Society has sanitized and domesticated the child’s world so that it is largely devoid of reasonable risk. Ironically, when we overprotect our children they become vulnerable because they have not learned to deal with risk. A tragic corollary of this syndrome is that insurance companies and fear of litigation seem to be the main determinants of programs and policies today. No one wants their children to get hurt or experience pain, but minor injuries, cuts and bruises, small collisions and other accidents are part of the rites of passage and learning of childhood. If we remove all adventure and risk from the lives of children and youth, we will be doing them a great disservice.
In last week’s Coast Reporter it was reported that a wonderful driftwood fort that the kids have built and rebuilt at Davis Bay over many years might have to be dismantled since it does not meet bureaucratic safety standards. If there is protest, planners will likely put up some form of representative realism made of plastic and steel to try to assuage the original young builders. What a shame if this childhood creation is a casualty to bureaucracy and over-protection. The driftwood piece is a wonderful landmark on the beachfront and while I have seen countless children playing in and on it many times, it has also has been the target of photographic enthusiasts for years. I believe it is an authentic piece of art that should be preserved. The pains taken by the children and youth who created this play setting need to be honoured. The many young hands that put together this masterpiece and tended it over the years through storms and the ravages of time are much more important than we know.
Let us heed the words of the foremost headmaster of the 20th century, A.S. Neill, when he says, “One of the true evils of civilization is the fact that no child has had enough time for play.” I hope the voices of youth will come forth in protest as they have recently in tragic events in the U.S.A.
Gary Pennington, Roberts Creek
