The Editor, Sir:

This letter is directed to the attention of your columnist, Ian Boyne.

Dear Mr Boyne

I have been an ardent reader of your Sunday articles and have found them well researched and written. The articles of two Sundays ago, June 15 and 22, have been misleading. In these articles, you continue to blame the upper class for the plight of the inner-city people and even expect them to find solutions to their problems. Note well, Mr Boyne, inner-city people's problems have reached crisis proportion and only a government with the will can effect any meaningful change in the mentality of these people.

My solutions are:

1. Track down the criminals and bring them to justice.

2. Enforce laws that will keep inner-city children off the corner and in school, that is, visit the corners and find out why they are not in school.

3. Send those eligible to HEART and/or the army for further training.

4. Limit women of child-bearing age to two children, as is done in China, since the root of the problem is that women who can't afford to have six or more children, are having them and send them on the road to fend for themselves.

5. Some of these women will tell you that they have nine children for different men because they will get more money. Note that these men often have plenty babymothers and are unable to care for any of these children.

6. Walk or drive on the leg of North Street, from KPH to Spanish Town Road, and observe the lifestyle. The older women are gambling on the corner, the men loafing and smoking, and the young girls pregnant, or with a young baby on their hip. Many have made child rearing their career, since at age 19, they have three or more children, no skill and so, are unable to work.

Therefore, the Government will have to change the mindset of the next generation. This cannot be allowed to continue, as more and more young people are being socialised into this way of life - crime, prostitution and poverty.

I am, etc.,

JOYCE DALEY

joycedamey@hotmail.com