Photo Was Not Socially Responsible  

To the Editor:

Saturday morning arrived, and as I sat down with my cup of coffee and The Bee in my lap, the first image was a picture of three boys on bicycles.

It instantly struck me that none of these children were wearing protective helmets. Besides the fact that it has become state law to wear a helmet at their age, no one can argue with the accident statistics of children on bikes. If these brothers were older and driving down a country road in their car with one of them hanging out the sunroof, would you approach it the same way?

The Bee should consider the social responsibility it has to promote the safety and well being of our children. By publishing a picture like this, what message are we sending to them? As parents, how can we insist they wear their helmets every time they ride, when this photograph implies that they just aren’t necessary?

Victoria Maybeck

40 Hundred Acres Road, Newtown               July 29, 2000