Published: January 10, 2008 11:57 am         

Parents must be vigilant to protect child's innocence

This is the time of year when many of us battle colds and sinus troubles. Fortunately, there are myriad medicines to reduce the annoying symptoms of the common cold. Unfortunately, these medicines are sealed up tighter than the gold in Fort Knox.

I have just such a pill sitting in front of me at this very moment. It's a single pill in a plastic holder that I know will work if I can just get it open. Of course, manual dexterity is out because this little plastic container is not meant to be opened with your fingers in spite of what the packaging declares.

It says to tear, peel and push. That got me nothing, so I advanced to rip, mangle and ram. Still nothing, except that now the little tab is gone and there is absolutely nothing to grab to peal back. Why is this so hard when this one pill costs only 50 cents? My IRA is easier to access than this (although worth about the same amount).

I wonder how we determine what is valuable and how thoroughly we will protect those things of value. For example, although this one pill is certainly tamper-proof, we often unwittingly give our children access to a whole world of objectionable material via cell phones and computers connected to the Internet.

Believe me, it's much easier for a child to inadvertently open an obscene Web site than for me to open this pill. And because that's the way things are, parents have to be vigilant in guarding the innocence of their children. Attendance at a good Sunday school and church will teach children to do what is right and avoid what is wrong. After all, they are our most valuable possession.

As for the sinus pill, I finally got it open by going to step three. This is using pliers, scissors and a blowtorch. My head cold feels much better, but I burned a hole in my desk.

David Sandvick is the pastor of First English Baptist Church in Frostburg.