The Editor, Sir:

This is in response to Peter Espeut's Wednesday column, 'Integrated on underdevelopment'.

He outlined the problems regarding crime, education, families, housing, crime and violence, underperforming and failing education system (which feeds into the crime and violence problem); failing domestic family arrangements with poor parenting and neglected children (which feed into our education problems); poor and slum housing and rural deprivation (which feeds into poor family life, including incest, domestic violence and early sexual initiation).

He spoke about low-income households combined with 'plenty children', many-to-a-bed with mixed genders, where food, schools, health care and jobs have to be found.

He said that the social and economic problems are intertwined and that "we are not going to find a solution to 'the crime problem' leaving everything else unchanged. There has to be a profound overhaul of our social situation ... Since our problems of underdevelopment are integrated, the solutions must also be integrated".

Looking for solutions

Can we look forward to the details of the solution in the next article? We have heard so much about the problems, and only generalities as solutions, but nothing specific from columnists and opinion-makers.

Can we now get practical ideas, which can be implemented, as talking so far has not resolved it, and based on what you said re: the integrated solution, talking cannot solve the problems.

I am, etc

JANET JOHNSON-HAUGHTON

jmjhau@hotmail.com