TALKING to people on the subject of crime today, especially violent crime, it seems that the majority of people reckon the Government has lost the plot and the signals given out are so confusing.

On one hand we are told that crime is being contained and on the other hand every time we pick up a paper or switch on the television there is murder, violence and thieving every day.

Never a day goes by and someone loses their life to the evil individuals out there who don't give a damn. The spread of murder is intolerable, bringing suffering to many hundreds of people who lose loved ones.

If anyone has been the victim of a burglary, they will know the feeling that the home is dirty and unsafe, knowing that someone has entered your sanctity and violated the one place thought to be safe – your home. Anyone doing so as far as I am concerned, is a low life and if a member of the house reacts and the low life is injured, it's his own doing.

At the moment there is no deterrent strong enough to deter the evil thoughts of a killer.
Colin S Wasey,
Wayman Street,
Monkwearmouth,
Sunderland

Economic crisis
THE collapse of the US sub-prime housing market, which was inextricably linked to the UK home loans market, is at last to be addressed.

In a move to shore-up the nation's two largest finance companies, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, the plan calls for the US Congress to expand the two companies' access to credit and allow the treasury to buy shares in the two companies, if needed.

These two firms own or guarantee almost half of all US home loans, more than £2.5-trillion dollars of debt. As a result of Congress's intervention, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae's shares have risen appreciably, hopefully to be followed by the UK housing loans market.

This was yet another clear display of the woeful condition of global economic interactions the current UK Government has to face.
Fred Brady,
Honeycomb Close,
Hall Farm,
Sunderland

Don't copy the US
BENEFIT reform was necessary, but ...
Why does thrusting young minister James Purnell want to copy the callous American "welfare" system?

The Americans believe in winner takes all and no one else matters. The rat race defied.

We have a much better "safety net" in England.

James Purnell may become Labour Party Leader one day.

We must all hope this Tony Blair clone learns a little compassion along the way, or leaves politics to be a second hand car salesman.
Max Nottingham,
Lincoln

Not the way to go
WHILE the principle of the idea to put unemployed people to work is a very good one and not before time, cleaning up litter and graffiti is not the way to go.

It is downgrading and humiliating and will provide no confidence or valuable knowledge whatsoever. The litter and rude words are put there by youngsters who have far from matured.

We must be tougher on this section of society and issue orders for these culprits themselves to clean up such repulsive messes under expert supervision.

As for the unemployed and physically incapacitated, they should be attending classes for the art of saleship, export and import procedures. Also how to begin a self-employed career, because believe me there is enough work out there for each and everyone of them.

However without encouragement and tuition, almost all of these people will just shrivel into the background forever and a day.

We won't ever frighten people back into work but we can nurse them back into independence with improved egos.
J Chambers,
Rickleton Village Centre,
Washington

We need your help
WE are appealing urgently for all types of stock to satisfy increasing demand as the increase in food, fuel and heating cost affects those on increasingly tight budgets in our community.

Our Age Concern shop in Blandford Street, Sunderland, is seeing increasing demand for good quality clothing, books and household items. To ensure we can meet this demand we need help.

Customers can help us by having a spring clean and donating any item of clothing they have not worn for some time to us.

Even unsaleable items have a value to us as we sell them into the rag trade. For that reason, when donating please do so to only bona fide charities as some collectors are unlicensed – please ask to see a driver's ID if you are in any doubt.
Jo Rowding,
Assistant manager,
Age Concern Shop,
Blandford Street,
Sunderland