The poignancy of Wednesday's march and appeal for peace by young children in central Kingston was perhaps over-shadowed only by the irony of the names of the communities from which they come and along whose streets they marched this week.

The names 'Southside' and 'Tel-Aviv', were not given by the city's municipal authorities. Rather, they were co-opted by residents who had learned to draw parallels between their existence and the strife-torn areas of Southside, Los Angeles and Tel-Aviv, the capital of Israel.

Many of these children will begin to lose the glow of innocence long before they can even become jaded by hearing stories recounted of how relatives and neighbours were cut down with equal ease by vicious gunmen and agents of the state. For already, within their short life span, the sound of gunfire has formed a backdrop to their experience.

The well-meaning attempts by the adults (teachers and parents), who led the youngsters in this week's march were intended as much to appeal to the wider society for its help in helping the children to live as normal a life as possible, as in appealing to the criminals to let the children live. The latter, we suggest, is a waste of energy.

Symbolic marches and appeals may stir the conscience of a passive or benumbed society, but not those of criminals who have long lost their humanity.

The dehumanising conditions in large pockets of these inner-city communities, the high rates of unemployment and the cynical manipulation by political hacks over many years have contributed significantly to the antagonistic and anti-social behaviour that breeds a vicious cycle of criminality. That cycle must be broken by strong, coordinated and sustained social intervention.

This intervention must of necessity involve the security forces in which respect is shown to law-abiding residents, yet being firm in dealing with the criminals.

The fight against crime must have all hands on deck - residents and security forces. The police often complain that they do not get sufficient cooperation or information from residents to allow them to make any significant dent in solving crimes. This is a cop-out, however. Certainly, residents must play their part - but their reluctance to be 'informers' is all too often validated by the fact that their identity is revealed by corrupt policemen. It is the responsibility of the Government and through it, the senior officers in the constabulary, to ensure that proper systems are in place to protect would-be informers.

Beyond that, intelligence and detective work that employs brain more than brawn have to be more effectively employed in reducing crime. We do not believe the task is beyond the ability of our police. The challenge is in the application.

The hopes and aspirations of the parents and teachers who marched through central Kingston on Wednesday should not be blighted by inertia and belly-aching. Indeed, these children should be allowed to chart a productive, creative life as they begin to develop their own visions for their lives. Life need not be nasty, brutish and short.