THE EDITOR, Sir:I HAVE noted with great disgust, distress and apprehension, the numerous broadside attacks being levelled at the Mayor of Kingston, Desmond McKenzie.
This is a most unfortunate development, as just when the city seems to be in the hands of a capable mayor all and sundry find him fair game for their tongue, if not their pen, often both.
The Gleaner's recent editorial on the mayor's stand in seeing to the proper safety standards before the opening of a circus is a case in point. Instead of standing up for law and order, you sought to berate the mayor as being high-handed and overzealous in the pursuit of the public good and, importantly, one of, if not his most critical responsibilities.
In your myopic approach you sought to label the mayor as an activist. It is this type of diatribe which causes decent law-abiding citizens to cower and avoid politics. Can't you see the bigger picture, that if we continue to ease up on the law of the land gradually all hell will break loose.
APPALLING CONDITION
Is there any wonder as to why this country is in such appalling condition, with crime, murder, rape and mayhem being the order of the day? For us to put a stop to these we must tackle them at their minutest stage and that I proffer is at the level of minor offences.
It is interesting that whenever we [Jamaicans] visit other countries in which the authorities enforce the law, we are often awed by the orderliness and cleanliness of these places and wonder why Jamaica can't be like that.
My questions is: how are we going to achieve this if each time our authorities seek to enforce the law they are attacked as heartless and labelled as activist?
We should applaud the mayor for his proactive approach in seeking to at least attempt to get things back to even a semblance of order; but then, perhaps we have become so accustomed to a disorderly society that we have forgotten how a progressive orderly society functions.
Press along, Mayor, press along!
I am, etc.,
PATRICK WALKER
Tracovic@yahoo.com
Kingston
