Alexander Again

THE EDITOR: Philosopher George Santayana’s famous 1905 quote, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,” came to mind on my reading Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander’s latest pronouncement, that child offenders should be treated as adults.

In effect, Alexander was calling for a return to the past where children were subjected to the full brunt of the criminal law and were not treated with humanity and in accordance with their status of childhood. In despair, I did a remake of Kenny J’s parang song, Alexander. So here goes: Alexander Again!

Kenny J, Christmas coming before very long

Forgive me for my remake of your parang song,

Prompted by a minister with plenty brawn

I got out my computer to write it down.

Alexander! Alexander!

Alexander, you must rethink! You must rethink!

Your child human rights norms are totally out of sync.

You better put on school clothes and go back to school

For your thinking on child rights is not at all cool.

Alexander! Alexander!

How could you not know The Child Savers fought

For children not to be treated as adults in court?

Children used to get long sentences, were even hanged

Now, you want the return of those old laws with a bang.

Alexander! Alexander!

Alexander, I will not, nay, cannot sit idly by, while

You advocate backward steps in this twin isle.

Since 1899, a separate court for children was born

In Cook County, Illinois, it saw its first dawn.

Alexander! Alexander!

Juvenile courts soon spread to Europe and other nations

With separate rules for children, emphasising rehabilitation

To be a kind and just parent was the guiding principle

Any differing view held or expressed is indefensible.

Alexander! Alexander!

Children are not mini adults that’s a wrong view

And a change in thinking must be had by you

Since 1991, we ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child

And are obliged from our old laws and practices to resile.

Alexander! Alexander!

I was proud to speak in many overseas conferences

Boasting that my country has made so many advances.

Our Children Court promotes the child’s sense of dignity and worth

And takes into consideration the child’s age and growth.

Alexander! Alexander!

We work to promote the child’s reintegration

And ability to assume a constructive role in this nation.

Long before US Supreme Court order in Roper v Simmons in 2005

We had no death penalty for children, so they could survive.

Alexander! Alexander!

Before the US abolished life sentences recognising children’s lesser culpability

We had determined that within children, ability for change had greater capacity.

Let us continue to build on our new laws, principles, institutions and practices

And not be tempted by panic and ignorance to treat children as savages.

Alexander! Alexander!

Our law has a uniform standard age of 18 when childhood ends

Do not interfere with the good, seek to fix what we still need to amend.

Utilise prevention measures, community support and restorative justice.

Treating child offenders as adults is counterproductive foolishness.

Alexander! Alexander!

HAZEL THOMPSON-AHYE

child rights advocate