The Editor, Sir:

Jamaica is truly in a state of disrepair and no change of government is going to rid the island of the problem of violence and crime. Jamaica is the only country I can think of that has had a sustained casualty rate of over 1,000 per annum while under civilian rule! No civil war exists but reading your crime stats would easily lead one to believe so.

Collusion and cooperation

For such anarchy to exist, there has to be collusion and cooperation between gunmen, civilians and the corrupt authorities as was so plainly stated by a recent damning indictment by Dr Herbert Thompson. The Jamaican middle and upper class are too busy attending cocktail parties and travelling to and from the USA and UK when they want to escape. They have neglected to provide real moral leadership to the country and have led the way in material acquisition for the masses to believe that this is the only way.

I shudder to think what will happen in the next three years to the decent folk left in the country at the hands of merciless gunmen, corrupt police, immoral leaders and a backward middle class!

I am, etc.,

B0B KOWALSKI

kowalskibob25@yahoo.com

New York