Letter: Kids just need better sticks to defend themselves

I have a cousin who has small twin boys. They are not equivalent developmentally, one having had difficulties during his first months. One day the sturdier twin had a stick, which he was brandishing toward his brother, who had no stick and probably couldn’t wield one effectively anyway.

I suggested to my cousin that she could either take the stick away from the stronger twin, or give a stick to the weaker one and tell him to defend himself. Her response was immediate — take the stick away and end the confrontation. I fully agreed, but this situation gave me pause. Suppose she opted to have the weaker twin be trained to use a stick to defend himself. No better time to learn personal defense. That he might be reluctant to use a stick, from fear or disinclination, wouldn’t be a consideration. In fact, maybe all little kids should be encouraged to carry sticks for protection, just in case. Or have a bunch of different sticks at home as options, depending on circumstances. Manufacturing quality sticks — talk about job creation!

Is this scenario really sensible? Perhaps it’s not so different from adults and guns. Think about it.

This story was originally published January 8, 2018 at 11:51 PM with the headline "Letter: Kids just need better sticks to defend themselves."