There is something reprehensible about adults using young children and babies to further their own causes.
It always irks me to see young children carrying placards in protest marches. Their parents and caregivers are obviously using them for the shock value and to get their propaganda across, but the childrenclearly don't have a clue what they are fighting for. Don't get me wrong, I believe some causes are worth fighting for. I just don't think we should let children do our fighting. Who knows, later in life they may take the opposite viewpoint of what they were forced to protest about. Children are children and should be left alone to learn about life and form their own opinions when they get older.
But, one of the most despicable forms of child exploitation is when children are used by adults for criminal purposes. The story on the front page of yesterday's Hawke's Bay Today about shoplifters using children to steal items was a real eye opener.
On Sunday, a woman went into Napier Pak'n Save with a child and allegedly stuffed items under the youngster's clothing and tried to leave. The case is before the courts so we cannot comment on the specifics of that incident, but what was alarming was the store's security officer saying he encountered this sort of thing all the time. Mike (who did not want his surname used) said he had even seen cases where adults used babies in prams and pushchairs to hide stolen items pilfered from supermarket shelves.
He described the shoplifters as both opportunistic and professional. The opportunistic shoplifters may very well be being driven by a very basic need of having to feed and clothe their children. The economic instability in the world is having an impact on all of us these days and times must be tough for those living on the breadline. However, there is no excuse for theft. The safety net in this country is bigger and better than most, so using poverty as an excuse to embark on a shoplifting spree is simply not acceptable.
These people should have their sentence doubled, with a charge of endangering a child thrown in as well. No matter what their circumstances, they should never involve children in their nefarious activities. What chance do these children have if they are being exposed to crime at such a young age.
We should be nurturing our children, not abusing them and leading them astray.
