May I join with the many others dismayed by the news that the morning-after pill is not only to be made available for sale to young girls over the counter without the knowledge or consent of their parents, but, even worse, is to be made available free from school nurses.
In today's world, old fashioned values like fidelity and chastity are increasingly dismissed as irrelevant and the gaunt spectre of Aids and HIV loom ever larger.
Surely it has never been more vital to encourage parents to build the kind of relationship with their families in which trust and confidence ensure that sexual activity and family planning can be discussed in the home.
It was heartening to hear that the Archbishop of Westminster, in his New Year statement, also spoke with great feeling of the need in today's uncertain world to strengthen the family unit, to try to reinforce a belief in the sanctity of marriage and for parents and leaders to advocate fidelity and commitment.
Could I encourage your readers to think seriously about the legacy we are leaving for our grandchildren if we do not teach our children (their parents) the vital importance of the family unit as a strength and shield from the declining standards of the world around us.
-David Silsby, Bishop, Hastings Ward, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
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