I say hang them, hang them and hang them high! I am not a supporter of hanging but the killing of children is extraordinary and that calls for extraordinary circumstances."

The above were the words of former Prime Minister Edward Seaga, as written in The Gleaner on November 24. Reading the article, I sense a level of frustration from the former prime minister. What is sensed more from my reading of the article is a level of hopelessness coming from a man who was a member of parliament for a constituency that is know for brutal acts of murder and violence. Is this to say that even he cannot cope with this level of crime? The man that is known to always have a plan seems to be "plan-less" on crime and violence, in particular, murder.

My two cents on this is, the former prime minister seems to be hopeless.

Stretch your imagination to the youths in the communities where these brutal acts of violence are frequent. Many of them drop out of school before finishing primary school, and are unemployed and unemployable. The only role model they know of is one with a gun ready to kill.

I grew up in a community just like the one mentioned above and many of the youths only know the street that they live on.That's about 400 metres of road. They have zero exposure to other parts of Jamaica. They cannot leave their communities due to the crime and violence that surrounds it. I had a friend who was actually shot dead for trying to do the right thing - leaving his community, his safe haven, to go to work.

Mr Seaga cannot imagine the hopelessness that these youths are feeling in these communities, I understand that children are being killed and it is wrong, but 'hang them, hang them, hang them high!' will never solve the problem unless you are trying to solve a political problem (claiming you are doing something to reduce crime and violence). These youths are hopeless; a hopeless youth is already dead. You cannot kill a man twice. Sorry, a boy twice. Given this, the death penalty is a hopeless solution.

Garfield Gayle

Queens, New York

brooksgayle@juno.com

I served as death-row chaplain from 1987-1994 at St Catherine's District Prison, Spanish Town. While understanding well the 'natural' inclination to condone the death penalty in the face of violent, vicious crime, it needs to be pointed out very simply but clearly - capital punishment doesn't work. Even cursory study of the data makes this clear. We refrain from employing the death penalty not because those convicted don't "deserve" it, but because we "deserve" better - for better or worse, we are our brother's brother.

Brian Massie, S.J.

Associate Pastor/Jesuit Superior

St Ignatius Church

All the debates about whether to hang criminals or not to hang them boil down to a simple choice.

In banning capital punishment, our country is actually making the decision to sacrifice our women and children in the place of (mainly) adult men. The correct decision to me seems clear. For centuries, men have gone to war to protect their women and children. I would be willing to sacrifice my life any day for my wife and kids. The fact that a male-dominated Gordon House set of parliamentarians is contemplating sacrificing our women and children is sickening.

What is so difficult in having a few innocent Jamaican men be hanged with the multitude of murderers to save our women and children?

I say, like my honoured former Prime Minister Edward Seaga, hang them, and hang them high!

Maurice