Dear Editor,

“This newspaper believes the nation must now accept that criminals have declared war and that we must respond in any way we can. It cannot be business as usual,” said the Observer editorial on May 10.

It’s sad but not surprising that your momentous editorial seems to have elicited little response. Over the years of galloping crime there has been one constant: a nation in denial. First, we had the Anansi story that “crime is only in Kingston” not in the rural or tourist areas; then, to externalise the problem, we were fed the big Goebbels-style lie that it was being fuelled by deportees not locals; long ago, we were told there can be no improvement as long as garrisons, rogue cops and corruption exist; the latest excuse for inaction is the Dudus-Manatt soap opera which seems destined to go on as long as radio’s Portia Faces Life.

Hidden behind this litany of excuses for inaction is what the police hierarchy and others continue to point out: our archaic criminal laws and antiquated justice system are inadequate to solve, never mind prevent, violent crime as it now manifests itself in 2010. It cannot be business as usual. The new commissioner of police has again spelt it out. What part of that can’t we understand? Because we refuse to face these inconvenient truths, citizens and police are increasingly exacting “jungle justice”, adding to the mayhem.

Sadly, there is no IMF-style “don” to shake us into reality on crime as on the economy. So on our own we need to confront the gorilla in the room – in order to preserve the supreme human right – the right to life. Any changes to our laws and justice system will of necessity involve temporary limitations on some long-held but less important human rights. Hopefully, amidst all the current “sound and fury” your momentous editorial won’t be consigned to the waste basket of “famous lost words”.

Errol WA Townshend

Ontario, Canada

ewat@rogers.com