According to our Friday edition, Agriculture Minister Christopher Tufton intends to “enter into discussions with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to determine the way forward” following the destruction of the brand-new Colbeck pumping station in St Catherine.

The very thought of going to the IDB, which funded the pumping station, makes us cringe, even as we wonder what on earth he is planning to say.

For something tells us we are going to end up looking very silly in the face of this latest outrage.

And considering our current standing in the international community, that’s a look we cannot afford just now.

According to our story, the pumping station would have benefitted 100 farmers with over 200 acres of productive lands.

Did the persons responsible for this not understand that?

Or didn’t they care?

What guarantee do we have that the pumping station’s replacement won’t go the way of its predecessor?

We note the several suggestions made by Mr Tufton with a view to stemming the series of attacks on the country’s agricultural infrastructure, from the suspension of the scrap metal trade to closed scrap metal seasons.

And they all sound good… in theory.

However, we can’t help thinking that the Colbeck tragedy is indicative of deep-seated problems that are going to require more than the installation of the measures suggested by the minister.

Because when you get right down to it, what happened at Colbeck is symptomatic of a society that is and has been turning on itself for some time now.

And we have to ask why.

What is the nature of this sickness that makes it okay in the minds of our fellowmen to destroy the things that are meant to improve their own lives and the lives of their children?

Where is the sense of community and national pride that makes this type of action untenable?

Could it be that those who did this simply don’t think they have a stake in the future of this country? And if this is how they feel, what can be done to change their mindset?

At the risk of sounding clichéd, we moot a return to the values and attitudes that used to prevail decades ago.

But who will lead the way?

It’s well-known that if the head of the stream is dirty, there’s not much hope that the rest of it will prove potable. Why not start the clean-up process there, then?

Let’s not pretend.

If we’re going to be honest about things we’ll be able to admit without too much difficulty that there’s a lot of work to be done there.

Without singling out the obvious for mention, it goes without saying that there are too many dirty passengers on the administrative train that is supposed to be leading the country towards peace and prosperity.

They must get off and go clean themselves up.

If they continue to refuse, we must make them come off.

Otherwise, eventually, we will all perish.