Star comment: Important that our children are warned of the horrors of war
Terrible events unfolding in Ukraine are difficult to avoid.
Horrors are unfolding in Europe. The worst land war since 1945 is being waged as Vladimir Putin stakes an illegal claim to a neighbouring state.
With good reason, the events of Ukraine dominate the headlines and are likely to continue to do so for a considerable period. Only the removal of Putin from office is likely to bring the crisis to an end, for it is clear his predatory ways are engrained.
The events of Ukraine play out across TV news, on our radio stations and in the digital space, where they are ever-present across all forms of social media and beyond. This is a hybrid war where disinformation finds its way into our everyday life. The delusions of a paranoid, war-mongering and dangerous Russian President are difficult to avoid.
Parents must find a way of protecting their children through the maelstrom. In Russia, Putin has ordered a 12-year-old girl to narrate a video in which she tells youngsters why it’s important to bomb Ukraine. In Russia, that passes for education.
The West must fight back and it is important that children in the UK are warned of the horrors of war. Adults cannot and should not try to entirely shelter children from the realities of what is happening; it is folly to do so. Children, especially older children, are surrounded by news.
Part of growing up is learning about just how unjust and cruel the adult world can be. Good parenting involves putting bad news into context and through that showing children the right way to act. It is essential that the moral compass of out next generation is set right and it is up to us to do what we can.
Creating half a million jobs within 10 years is a bold claim by the West Midlands Forum, especially as it doesn’t give any hard and fast facts about where those jobs will come from.
But it is absolutely right to bring together experts from all fields to create the forum and to recognise the need to adapt as we move into a green revolution. The organisation must lobby hard to ensure the West Midlands gets a fair share of Government investment. It must persuade companies looking to invest that this region is best place to help them.
Shropshire’s Ironbridge represents the birth of the industrial revolution. The Black Country was the furnace that fired the UK’s manufacturing boom. As a region we have effective transport links. More importantly, we have the knowledge, understanding and the skills to embrace new technology and seize the opportunities it brings.
