Pockets of security

This letter is in response to the Sunday, December 6, news story 'Call for development plan - Realtors warn that the country's alarming crime rate is pushing Jamaicans into gated communities'.

One cannot help but notice the increase in gated communities across the island, which often is accompanied by bragging rights of residence who boast about the opulent lifestyle they enjoy living in relative isolation.

Whether the lifestyle is real or imagined is not my concern. What I care about is the increased crime rate which forces many residents to hide behind gates as a means of protection. Maybe securing their own safety is not a bad thing, but just exactly how secured are these communities and why should some people have the luxury of safety while others have to fight to survive the night?

Should we be concerned that the pockets of security that are popping up all over the island hinder us from establishing a national crime-reduction plan to ensure the safety of all and not just a few? Are we creating a wider gap between the haves and have nots by further separating ourselves behind dividing walls?

- Norm Edmonson

bigupja2@hotmail.com

Where are the activists?

The E10 roll-out has been seen as a very positive step in advancing Jamaica's renewable energy initiatives (by most, not all; the naysayers need to change out their gas filters).

Further, the environmental benefits are tremendous, and it is in keeping with worldwide trends for countries to use ethanol instead of Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE) as an octane enhancer.

I ask that your newspaper give Diane Macaulay of the Jamaica Environmental Trust, sufficient space to give us a factual article on this important area mentioned above as she and her organisation seems to be one of the few in Jamaica that is up to date on international trends without the usual waffle, as observed by other writers on the subject matter who are just plain lazy to do some basic research.

Finally, I would like all to note that the E-10 initiative is very important for another reason not highlighted; that is, MTBE is derived from fossil fuel and is a known pollutant, especially for ground water. This is highly significant for a small island developing state like Jamaica.

- Dr Charles Demontaque

charlesdemontaque@yahoo.co.uk

Stafford University, Surrey, UK

The car licensing system needs reform

I was recently in Jamaica on a one-week vacation and there were reports of about six people losing their lives in that period - that is six too many.

I think the first place for reform is the motor vehicle license system. If one is not able to read, he or she should not be allowed to drive. There should be some punishment for that individual who is responsible for giving such an individual a license. The road has plenty codes which must be read.

- W. Scarlett

wesbertbronx@optonline.net

New York