The Editor, Sir:

Where problems are social in nature then it requires an understanding of why it occurs. Humans are guided most times by self-interest, a feature that influences the choices we make. If therefore we are to make right choices then our hierarchy of needs must be met, beginning with the most basic, 'to eat a food'.

This brings me to the point concerning the euphoria of the Olympic competition and the call for wrongdoers, the gunmen to put down their guns. For me that is a naïve request at best. The question arise then is: "Why should the gunmen put down their guns? Is it in their own interest? We know that in many of these situations that it is desperation or greed or need to satisfy self-esteem needs that has led to the picking up of the gun.

Won't work

The mere good feeling that the winning of a few gold medals at the Olympics would not have addressed these needs and so a pleading to put down the guns simply will not work.

It would seem to me, therefore, that the solution lies not in verbal clanking or simply wishing but putting something tangible in place to alleviate the immediate problems and thereby giving the men the option of doing the right thing. This might mean starting production projects in the inner cities, which will allow for employment, which may lead to the subsequent removal of some of the zinc fences and shacks as more people become more empowered.

Constant pronouncement

Another aspect of our leaders' naïveté can be seen in the constant pronouncement on crime. In one year, we might hear that crime is down or murders are up, but crime is down. The question therefore is this: Is murder not a crime, and if crime is down so too should murder as a type of crime? This form of reasoning is mind-boggling or is it that I have a pea brain? It is common knowledge that the general trend of crime over the past 20 years is showing an increase, so fluctuation from month to month or year to year is irrelevant and it is certainly not an indication that crime itself is decreasing, but a normal lull that will occur from time to time.

This is so because evil men do not sit down and say to themselves that they are going to kill one or two per day, but rather they often act violently on impulse in an effort to solve a dispute they might have with another. Therefore, I do not want to hear any pronouncement on crime statistics that say crime is trending down with a lull in this month and high next month. The solution lies in actually catching some of these wrongdoers and getting them convicted in a court of law.

I am, etc.,

THADEOUS DONALD

ted.donald@yahoo.com

Kingston 19