THE EDITOR, Sir:

I refer to the letter published in yesterday's Gleaner (November 14) by Sophia Griffiths pertaining to 'dirty music'.

The lewdness of the illicit sex and gun-slinging music, which trumpets from public transportation and every drum-pan sound system (now on every corner of our communities), knows no bounds! Even more disconcerting is the toothlessness of the law and law enforcers to curtail it. In fact, the police pass by these loud speakers every day and unless they are called repeatedly by decent people to enforce the curfew, they do absolutely nothing. If you are careful enough to notice, they are the ones punctuating this music with (unaccounted for) 'bullets' in the air at some dance sessions. Will better come? Can we expect good sense and morality to prevail in efforts to deal with this most reproachable issue? No. Not under these conditions.

School children are one of the main reasons for the perpetuation of this type of music especially in public transport vehicles. They decline from travelling with drivers who refuse to play them. They know every word of the lyrics from these fast spitting DJs. The girls especially love 'wine pon it and talk to me' (Munga) and 'cock it up gal' (Beenie Man). It is absolutely absurd that women are equal or greater supporters than men of the music which degrades and vilifies them, and effectively portrays women only as sexual gratification objects.

As a postgraduate psychology student, I can say unreservedly that studies prove that this music is one of the main propellers behind human indulgence in the respective behaviours. These behaviours are the root of the major irrepressible challenges we have in Jamaica today. Illicit sex breeds children who grow up not in homes, but in yards, bereft of any moral training. Their fathers are little boys who themselves have not been fathered and lack the requisite skill to impart same to children. Their mothers didn't learn anything in school. They spent their time learning 'wine pon it' on the buses to and from school and 'before you know it is another baby' for the state to finance.

Rapid proliferation

Gun and gangster lyrics are even more perilous. They incite the violence that has made Jamaica one of earth's murder capitals. The message of this genre is that you must retaliate violently to the minutest of offences by another. Anything anyone does that you do not like is a 'dis' and yes, bullets must reign supreme. With this mentality, crime's only future in this country is rapid proliferation. We could go on to talk about the economic repercussions of these, but I believe they are most obvious.

Ms. Griffiths, this country has reached a place where I am not certain there is any scope for restoration. Mr. Derrick Smith, we have a mental problem here. Jamaica needs psychological help and no amount of ammunition reinforcement can restrain her!

I am, etc.,

LEON FERGUSON

thegreat1_9@yahoo.com

Cambridge, St. James

Via Go-Jamaica