The Editor, Sir:

I was disappointed when I watched the television news on Wednesday evening and saw MP Andrew Holness refusing to accept Rev Blair's handshake during a peace walk in his constituency. I was, however, quite appalled when I saw Rev Blair refusing a few minutes later to accept Mr Holness' handshake.

Rev Blair is the person who is telling persons, who MP for South St. Andrew Omar Davies described as irredeemable, ignorant and illiterate, not to adapt the attitude of an eye for an eye but instead to turn the other cheek, as Jesus taught. Yesterday however Rev Blair decides that since Andrew Holness took out his eye, he in turn was going to retaliate and take out Andrew Holness's eye.

What now is the basis on which Rev Blair can tell a youth who decides to take up his gun in reprisal for a previous act not to do so? How will he differentiate his action yesterday from that of the person who feels that he has to react when someone 'disses' him?

Rev Blair is not a politician, Rev Blair is not a ordinary Jamaican. Rev Blair is a minister of religion who should be living by the teachings of Christ and he is also the chairman of the Peace Management Initiative and so he has to be held to a higher standard than an ordinary Jamaican and we expect a higher standard than that displayed by Andrew also.

In my opinion Rev Blair missed an excellent opportunity to show the youths of Jamaica how to forgive, how to mend fences and how to turn the other cheek.

I am, etc.,

JEROME HENRY

14 second Avenue

Buff Bay P.O.

Portland