Speak Up: Proper child seat use is a must, Delaware officials say

A 1-year-old boy’s recent death during a traffic crash was indeed tragic but serves as a reminder of how to properly buckle children up. Following the two-vehicle collision in Harrington on Jan. 7, Delaware State Police noted that the child was strapped into a front-facing car seat in the car’s back row. However, state guidelines call for youth to remain in rear-facing car seats until at least age 2. According to the Delaware Office of Highway Safety, most convertible car seats have a rear-facing weight limit maximum of at least 40 pounds, the size of an average 4-year-old.

• Car seats are so important. Thank you for this article. — Shawn Rohe

Response to Pope Benedict question

On Jan. 5, Pope Francis joined tens of thousands of faithful in bidding farewell to former Pope Benedict XVI at a rare requiem Mass for a dead pope presided over by a living one. The funeral ends an unprecedented decade for the Catholic Church, sparked by the German theologian’s decision to retire. What will you remember most about Benedict’s eight-year papacy and his uncommon retirement?

• He was a very prayerful man. When finally he understood the gravity and horror of child abuse by priests, he was the first to openly apologize and beg for forgiveness. It was a start, so the standing pope could continue to help. — Denise Sloboda Deskiewicz