Dear Sir, The situation in Jamaica seems finally to be approaching anarchy. Violence is rife throughout the island.

It has the highest murder rate in the world -- with the lowest conviction rate. Gangs control much of the capital with shooting and rape. Most of the hard currency earnings of Jamaica stem from the export of marijuana and other drugs.

One cannot help noticing that a significant amount of the violent crime and drug offences committed here in Bermuda seems to be at the hands of Jamaican nationals.

Recently two Jamaicans were caught working without permits. Perhaps it is about time that we faced reality and banned Jamaican nationals from Bermuda altogether.

Violence and drugs have strong links - and an insidious way of spreading.

QUARANTINE City of Hamilton Relocate red mailboxes July 23, 1999 Dear Sir, Bermuda's gleaming red mailboxes proudly reflect Bermuda's heritage.

Unfortunately, their location also reflects a Bermuda that has long disappeared under the pressure of automotive traffic.

Many mailboxes around the island are still positioned for easy access to turn of the century pedestrians and horse-drawn carriages -- in locations that are often illogical or unsafe in the traffic flows of today.

I would encourage the Bermuda postal authorities to survey the island's mailboxes, their use, and the safety of their locations.

With this information, the Government should realign the network to reflect Bermuda's current population dispersion and commuting habits. For example, some boxes might be repositioned near to grocery stores, tourist sites or other stop-off points with adequate sidewalks or laybys for cars.

Such user-oriented planning is particularly important in this age, where "snail mail'' faces tough competition from electronic communication like Easy Link bill payments or email.

POSTAL PATRON Warwick Proud of our young folks July 26, 1999 Dear Sir, On Saturday, July 17, the Catholic Youth Ministry held a talent show, "House of Colours'' in the Mount Saint Agnes Auditorium.

This wonderful production was coordinated by the children and the young adults themselves. As a parent in the audience I was extremely proud of the talent we have amongst our young folks.

We were entertained by dancers, singers, musicians and magicians -- everyone worked well together. I must also give praise to the other very important youth who were back stage helping with lights, music, curtains, the emcees and of course those who helped with the delicious bake sale. I hope the talent show was also successful in raising money for the youth to go to Steubenville, Ohio in August.

If the rumours are correct -- that there will be another show in the fall, please save me some tickets! Keep up the faith and remember God is good... all the time! C. CARREIRO Warwick Boys were stoning hens July 28, 1999 Dear Sir, On Monday, July 26, at 6:45 p.m., I was walking along the Railway Trail in Devonshire when I came across an unbelievable site at the BMX bike racing track. There was a group of approximately eight young boys ranging in age from 10-14, who were "stoning'' harmless wild chickens that live on the trail. The boys were laughing and taking great pleasure out of bloodying the chickens with rocks until they finally killed them. When I realised what they were doing, I quickly confronted the group and told them to stop their cruel and sick game. I thought that they would stop, but as I walked away, I turned around and saw the boys continuing to kill a chicken that had been wounded.

Again, I confronted the group. One young boy in a lime green t-shirt then told me, "You can't tell me what to do. I will kill all the chickens if I want to.'' As I walked home, I had the sickest feeling in my stomach from this upsetting incident. How sad if this is the future of tomorrow for Bermuda. Young people with no sense of guilt, or right and wrong. What will these boys be like when they are 18, if they have no conscience today...and what kind of crimes will they be committing then? That's a very scary thought.

DISGUSTED IN DEVONSHIRE Reward to catch abusers July 29, 1999 Dear Sir, I was appalled to read in your July 28 edition of the inhumane treatment meted out to the pair of pit bull pups in Pembroke.

This type of despicable behaviour must be stamped out in Bermuda. If it will help, I would like to offer a reward of $100 for information which leads to the identification and conviction of the person(s) responsible. In addition, anyone in future reporting a similar incident of cruelty to animals which results in prosecution and conviction will be eligible for a reward in the same amount. Presumably, some mechanism can be worked out whereby I am notified of the persons eligible.

May I also express the hope that our Magistrates will deal with any such offenders to the maximum extent of their powers.

MARIA M ZAYATZ Flatts `Horrified' at balloons July 29, 1999 Dear Sir, I was sickened with this morning's opening Cup Match Ceremony. The colours and pageantry were impressive, as was the commentary provided by various personalities, but the horrific release of gas filled balloons into the air effectively destroyed all the festive spirit that with which I had started this holiday weekend.

No more than a week ago, on 23 July, The Royal Gazette in its Lifestyle section carried a banner page title "Turtles under Attack''. The feature explained in some detail the threats facing marine turtles and provided pictures and evidence from Bermuda's own waters of these very threats. One of the specific threats identified was gas filled balloons.

The only place the balloons released this morning will come down is in the ocean, creating of lethal debris for whales, dolphins and especially marine turtles. Ocean debris is a very serious threat to marine animals and free floating plastic bags and burst balloons can be lethal to species which mistake them for jellyfish, which for some animals are a main food item. The ingested plastic is toxic and it also obstructs the stomach, preventing the animals from receiving nutrition from real food.

Not only do the burst balloons threaten the free swimming adult turtles but eventually some will end up in the sargassum rafts. It is widely believed that hatchling turtles spend their "lost years'' drifting with sargassum and other sea grasses. The "lost years'' is a term commonly used to refer to the years between a turtle's hatching and its return to coastal waters as a juvenile. It is not even known how long this period lasts, although estimates range from three to seven years.

These young turtles inevitably attempt to eat some of this material, with devastating consequences that can lead to a lingering death. The last Cup Match of the Twentieth Century will most likely be just that for many marine animals.

The tragic consequences of this morning thoughtless and shameful balloon release will last long into the next century, for me giving a new reason for the Minute of Silence that followed.

JAMES CONYERS City of Hamilton Balloons an ocean hazard July 30, 1999 Dear Sir, Dolphins, whales and sea turtles eat jellyfish. Balloons floating in and on the ocean look like jellyfish. Ingested balloons kill dolphins, whales and sea turtles.

Hundreds of helium filled balloons were deliberately released over the ocean during Cup Match this year.

It is hard to believe that not one of the many people who must have organised this display understood the hazards of plastics and balloons in the ocean.

There is nothing to be celebrated in our heritage that justifies polluting the ocean and putting at risk the lives of those wonderful animals living in it.

I would encourage everyone in Bermuda to take advantage of the many programmes at the Bermuda Aquarium Museum & Zoo, Bermuda Biological Station and BUEI that promote awareness of the marine environment and help us fulfil our obligation to help preserve it for future generations.

Please let us all make sure that something like this does not happen again.

JUDIE CLEE Smith's Parish What more can be said? July 21, 1999 Dear Sir, Bermuda's ground water has become indispensable, yet we knowingly pollute it with our cesspits.

HOW BIZARRE Southampton