THE EDITOR, Sir:

HERE WE go again! I have just completed my reading of a letter in The Gleaner - 'Long detention not the answer' - and I must say I strongly agree with the arguments put forward by the writer.

We do need more than just aiming for long prison sentences; our social environment has been eaten away and it doesn't look like it's getting any better. Some parents are doing nothing to change the ugly scenery. Children are no longer children; they now make decisions on their own, they can do almost anything they feel like (partying, smoking, drinking, sleeping out, listening to these immoral DJs without much hassle from their parents). So, even if the 'cockroaches' are curtailed, the very 'teenagers' are up and coming. Parents ought to get a hold of their children in whatever way necessary.

Hold parents accountable

What the Government needs to do as well, since they are already on the path of drastic measures, is examine the prospect of holding some parents responsible for the social neglect of their children and their consequent lawlessness. Yes, this is a very strong and hard task which would take much research and planning. However, we have to do something.

Another group that needs to be strongly addressed is the entertainers. I cannot see how we are trying endlessly to rid our society of the high degree of crime and social instability, pulling out all the stops, and yet we have these guys who constantly flood the atmosphere with strong, violent and disrespectful lyrics. Some kind of law needs to be drafted as well against these acts. Yes, we're living in a democratic society; however, freedom has its own 'boundaries', and I believe that a number of them (DJs) need to be thoroughly warned, punished and investigated for their contribution to the level of crime we have in our society.

I am, etc.,

O'NEIL ARMSTRONG

oceanmandeepsea@yahoo.com

Via Go-Jamaica