Sir, - I refer to John O'Donoghue's article (May 13th). If anyone has put the "focus on the trivial" it is John O'Donoghue, whether he is able to face the fact or not. He advocates zero tolerance on arrest but allows judicial discretion on sentencing. His proposal means the Gardai will be compelled to arrest every wrongdoer detected, and apply the law. It would have to apply to all breaches of the law however trivial. This is patently a ridiculous proposal.
Curiously, he accepts and approves the practice of politicians petitioning the Minister for Justice in order to alleviate a duly imposed sentence of the court. How can he reconcile facilitating a law breaker by seeking to have the sentence reduced outside the court system, with his almost fanatical approach to law enforcement?
Presently we have a system, normal to all civilised societies, of "zero tolerance" with discretion on both arrest and sentencing, which is ably discharged by our gardai and judiciary. Given the simplistic level of his debate I cannot take him seriously. Is he stuck with a slogan he does not understand, cannot abandon, and is desperately trying to defend? - Yours, etc.,
Barrington's Avenue,
Ballintemple,
Cork.