Dear Editor,

Some time ago, from the dark alleys of our minds, we sought to confine females to sartorial prisons, supposedly to protect them from unwanted sexual advances, molestations, and even rape because it was erroneously believed that they were attracting unhealthy attention with their so-called skimpy attire. So they were called upon to cover up to protect the helplessly weak men in the society from temptation. However, as time progressed, street lights of enlightenment were installed in the dark alleys of our minds and the idea was put to rest.

I was, therefore, very surprised when the idea was recently resurrected, but even more troubled that the idea was exhumed and given life again by a woman, and not just any woman, but a highly educated woman — a principal. She has unrelentingly called for a marriage between the hem of the female uniform and the ankles. This unholy marriage was implanted, again, supposedly to protect them from molestation from licentious and lecherous men while they are in transit to and from school. I can only imagine that this idea is a result of a shock to her system from the seeming unabated ills in our society.

I am all for rules, they are supposed to enhance human interactions and guide social development.

We are a gregarious people with different idiosyncrasies. Rules, therefore, are supposed to promote workable harmony among the variables of human tendencies. This is to allow for unnecessary disruption to or the stifling of development. Hence, rules must be made with consideration for the ethos of the community or environment within which people will operate.

As such, we must be careful not to punish the innocents with our rules, which is the case at Godfrey Stewart High School. These innocent girls are being punished and the continuity of their education threatened. Why? Because a few salacious characters are on the loose in our society.

May I remind the principal of Godfrey Stewart High School, and all others of like mind, that these sexually depraved characters in our society are not motivated from without but from within their dark and villainous minds. If you were to wrap up these girls like cocoons, it would have absolutely no mitigating effect on these men’s dark desires. Therefore, let us not imprison the victims to protect them from the predators.

E Elpedio Robinson

Red Hills P O

St Andrew

elpediofineart@gmail.com