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Prostitution should not be taken lightly

Reader objects to tone taken in article on prostitution in Ashcroft's early frontier years.

Dear Editor

Child prostitution and the plight of sexual exploitation from past eras should never be comically annotated or presented in today’s world without a fair and eloquent dose of socially responsible commentary on the deep suffering and costs associated with the times to both victims and others.

I am surprised Esther, my friend, and hope that you will refrain from thinking that our communities are somehow entertained by these teasing stories with only a wink, nudge, or smile. We may be rural, but I know that we deeply respect and honour that those girls, youth and adults as they were exploited and victimized, just as we deeply respect and honour so many of our First Nations friends who were victimized and exploited at residential schools.   History has many faces, please use your opportunity to write for us in ways that will deepen our love and enlighten us to an appreciation of today’s social needs and foster attitudes that promote human compassion and understanding of those souls that have preceded our time, and even current victims of these abuses both here and around the world. Esther, you are much more gifted and a much better a writer than this.

Carmen Ranta

Cache Creek