Dear Editor,
Initially, I had no intention of going to the Alkaline show for a number of reasons—the venue, some lingering questions about the content of some of his songs and some gender-based and personal safety concerns, to name a few. Some savvy marketing by the promoters as the hottest attraction in town and the inducement of some VIP tickets from my boyfriend were enough to win me over. I arrived there still with some apprehension and then realized that there was an issue: there before me, both in the VIP section and prominently within the general section, were many children. I mean 9, 10 and 11-year-old children at a concert in the National Park at 12.30 am, with adults whom I presume were their parents or guardians. To make it more disturbing is they were all waiting to see Alkaline.
What is going on in our society that would make adults feel that it’s fine to have our children in that environment in the first place? We used to have clear rules governing what experiences, our children could share with adults, and where and when; a late-night concert would never appear on the list, not even close. Then, knowing the highly x-rated, drug-related and violent content of Alkaline’s music, one asks: Is this what we would voluntarily expose our children to? Taking them there clearly says to a child that this is appropriate for children.
Are there any rules governing the admission of children to these types of events? Are the child protection laws relevant here and if so, who should be monitoring and enforcing them? This was all happening in the clear view of police officers and all of the patrons. No one said a word. Where are we going as a society if this is appropriate at 10? What are we to expect from these children when they are 16 years old? Where is our moral compass in relation to these things and who should be regulating all of this and saving us from a clear impending implosion?
Yours faithfully,
Nichole Williams
