Disappointed with The Gleaner

THE EDITOR, Madam:

I write in response to a photograph (by Mr Ian Allen), which appeared on the cover of the February 17, 2020 edition of The Gleaner, presenting a man washing his shirt in a pothole along Old Hope Road, below Stanton Terrace in St Andrew. First, I must declare my profound sadness for the plight of this person.

Equally so, it saddens me that instead of lamenting the poverty of this gentleman’s situation by telling his story of how he has come to his current circumstances, namely homelessness, mental health and abject poverty, or soliciting public assistance to address his situation, the caption concluded with a trite comment on the size of potholes in the city.

I truly believe that The Gleaner missed a glorious opportunity to shine a light on all these issues facing many Jamaicans, especially the elderly and the various public and private initiatives being undertaken to address them.

In the final analysis, it takes commodities like aggregate and asphalt to repair potholes.

One wonders what it takes to repair a life such as that depicted in your photograph.

E.G. HUNTER, CD, PE

National Works Agency

Chief Executive Officer