The Editor, Sir:

The pages of The Gleaner now seem, metaphorically, to be soaked in blood. Bodies continue to fall across the country on a daily basis. It appears we are now witnessing a low-grade civil war. We are in the throes of an attack on the rule of law, decency and the pillars of civil society that will not be solved by tough talk and the shuffling of Cabinet members and commissioners of police.

This country needs decisive lea-dership and immediate action to stem the anarchy we are now facing. The prime minister must realise that time is running out. The terrorists are emboldened. The albatross of crime must be removed from our necks if Jamaica is going to prosper. Crime and corruption must be our number-one priorities.

Complex business

The prime minister must convince the people that this chaos is a national emergency that is stifling us. While we appreciate that crime fighting is a complex business with complex causes, we must now employ immediate short-term strategies to stem the flow of blood in our communities. We cannot continue to drift aimlessly towards the edge of the abyss. It may already be too late.

I am, etc.,

R. OSCAR LOFTERS

Lofters1@aol.com

Kingston 8

Via Go-Jamaica