The Editor, Sir:

I have just read the account in Wednesday's paper (March 19) of the Silver Pen Award given to Michael Spence for "his expressive opinions as published in the editorial section of The Gleaner." He is cited specifically for his opposition to Pastor Samuels' suggestion of military training as a solution for stemming the tide of indiscipline and murder that is sapping the very life of our country.

Spence disagrees with the notion of military training and, instead argues for education. He is right that education is needed, but he should know, also, that military training is another form of education. So, perhaps his argument is about the delivery of education which he sees as the answer. If that is so, he and Pastor Samuels are not at odds, but are closer in intent than it first appears.

It can be proven that education, in whatever form it is delivered, imparts discipline to the learners. Unfortunately, there are different learning styles and rates of absorption, as well as differences in the proficiency of instructors. Thus, the education process may well become an extremely long-term proposition.

Spence argues that soldiers are trained to kill. However, soldiers are also well disciplined to perform life-saving functions. The new commissioner of police can attest to that. I am sure Pastor Samuels was not advocating such a role for his proposals.

I believe Jamaica could be helped with its discipline problem by a form of compulsory national service, organised along military lines, minus the training for killing. There is enough rundown and broken infrastructure that remains neglected without any immediate hope of repair, that the corps of national-service youth could fix as a part of their training.

This idea might need a lot of tweaking to make it viable and sustainable, but it should not be dismissed outright. With all the hand-wringing that is going on, no one has brought forward a viable solution to this deadly problem.

Most people agree that the heavy hand of the law-enforcement agencies will not solve the problem. When these agencies do their work, people will have to have alternatives to killing and stealing, otherwise they will go right back. A national-service programme could teach our young people the discipline to become real capitalists whose trade is built upon legal commodities.

I am, etc.,

ROYSTON McKENZIE

roystonf@sympatico.ca

117 Pemberton Road

Richmond Hill

Ontario, Canada

Via Go-Jamaica