Sir, - John Waters (February 5th) argues that children have an innate capacity to tell right from wrong, all based on his daughter's fondness for Bob the Builder because Bob apparently represents such masculine virtues as reliability, duty, and hard work. Although the theory tends to break down when he points out that "you don't find many cartoons about psychiatrists, social workers or professors of sociology at UCD" (nice one, John!), he may actually be on to something. One of my eight-month-old daughter's favourite pastimes is tearing up The Irish Times and she does this with particular relish when she gets her hands on Monday's Opinion page. - Yours, etc.,
Harry Ferguson, Professor of Social Policy and Social Work, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4.