'Yes! He did' proclaimed The Gleaner's headline dated November 5, and wow, did he do it! I speak of none other than Barack Obama, who has proven once again that anything is indeed possible. Four years ago, one had told me that the next president of the United States was going to be black, I would have been skeptical indeed. However, he did, and all that unique campaigning (such as using video games and social sites such as Facebook to get the word out and votes in) has paid off.

lesson to be learned

If there is a lesson to be learned from Senator Obama's victory, it is that if you want to achieve an objective, one has to be willing to pull out ALL the necessary stops. I have always held the notion that "if yuh wah good, yuh nose affi run" close to heart. In essence, this proverb is saying that if we want to succeed, we must expect growing pains, nothing worthwhile is ever easily attained.

The same can be said of the crime situation and finding a solution. Regardless of what measures the Government seeks to implement, there will be those who will be vociferous in their opposition. What should be taken into consideration is the benefits which the measures may have for us in the long run.

It has been said that "opinions are the cheapest of commodities, that's why they are freely given and when weighted against reason and facts, are usually found wanting". That said, do not completely ignore our rights, however; the Government was elected to lead, and one cannot effectively lead if one is timid and try to please everyone.

I am, etc.,

FERDINAND SENIOR

ferdinand_senior@hotmail.com