LETTER TO EDITOR: Get real parents, the buck stops at you

IN response to the story about kids and the terrorising of shoppers and storekeepers at Stockland and any other places it may be happening.

For many years there have been parents who have let their kids run wild and their answer is "No my child wouldn't do that" when confronted with a comment about their behaviour.

Do yourselves a favour, get off your backsides and take a look, even if you have to walk down or get a friend or taxi to drive you. (If your child is one of those responsible he or she will probably hide if they see your car). Perhaps it is time for all benefits to be stopped if these kids are responsible.

You aren't bringing them up, they are dragging themselves up and there no prizes for that, so why should you get paid for it?.

Of course it doesn't mention if they are indigenous or not. That's right, it's politically incorrect to categorise, and no doubt morally wrong to take these brats and escort them to the police station and make the parents show cause. I don't care how you catch them.

They're out of control, wild and let loose on the public.

The shop-keepers would probably agree that their rents and costs for the stock they need to protect are high enough without them peeing, spitting and causing havoc.

Guess what parents. The buck stops with you. Know where they are, what they're up to and if they don't want you to check, they don't go out.

You don't ring their mobile, you ring their friend's parents to see if they're there and we assume you know where your kids friends live, their surnames or is that too hard? It's not rocket science.

Then you might realise the kids were meant to be at your place. Sound familiar?

Overseas, one of the wives of a muslim bomber said.."No he's my husband...he wouldn't do that". Sound familiar; another person with their head in the sand. Get real, get tough and put these brats away for a few months...Where?? Who cares!!.

Bring back the whips and let the police use them or at least a bit of common sense to stop the problem.

It won't happen unless the courts get serious and impose a few reasonable rules. Yet there will be another do- gooder to intervene and say "He's had an unhappy life or a rough trot" and they get off again, scot free. Isn't it time we got real?

Jan Edwards

Yeppoon