The Editor, Sir:

The British Link-Up dance that turned into a high-level fracas recently is nothing new to Jamaican everyday life.

Dancehall artistes running for cover and the 'infamous' and famous Jamaican millionaires seeking shelter are nothing new.

We tend to not see the reality that stares us in the face, ANGRY Jamaicans, GREEDY Jamaicans, HUNGRY Jamaicans, individuals who are not willing and do not know how to amicably solve a problem are just killing each other.

Many communities across Kingston and St Andrew are not given relevant permits to host entertainment ventures in their communities.

Realistically, this ought not to be so, as arguably, entertainment (dances) is essential to the stability of any community. The flip side of the coin, however, is that many of these entertainment sessions oftentimes end at 7:00 a.m., which in many cases is against the law.

Additionally, constituents need to come to the realisation that the reason for going to a 'dance' is not to protect a turf, fight or act in defence. So, the need for taking a weapon to a session, or for 'gun salutes', is totally unnecessary. The truth is we have put ourselves in this predicament.

We are coming across too many persons who own a 'legal' firearm. People whom we know should not have been eligible in the first place.

What are the criteria? Are gun permits issued to the all and sundry?

We are left to believe it is a matter of 'who knows who', or some of these 'legal' firearms are not legal.

There needs to be unbending enforcement of all laws for us to experience a law-abiding society which will alleviate crime and violence.

The Kingston and St Andrew Action Forum has been working in over 53 communities in the Corporate Area. Community dances can provide some amount of stability to a community, but are also venues for delinquent practices and 'false security'.

We are, etc.,

Lawman Lynch (PRO)

Godfrey Lothian

(president)

Andrew Geohagen

(executive)