Find another scapegoat

The Editor, Sir:

In response to your article on Monday regarding 'Ready Freddy' I am saddened to hear of the fallout from this wooden sculpture. As an expatriate, I am thrilled to learn that 'Ready Freddy' has garnered such wide acclaim. I remember him from passing through Fern Gully years ago on a trip back home. Not only is Mr Traille able to eke out a living through 'Ready Freddy', sending his three children to school, but one cannot deny the artistic appeal of the work.

It was both a pragmatic and courageous move that this artist took. One that I hope will stimulate a serious discussion of Jamaican art, discussions that go beyond Edna Manley. If Manley's nude 'Eve' was considered Art. Why not 'Ready Freddy'? In the end, this is a work of art. It is as bold, and provocative as any works in New York's Museum of Modern Art.

It isn't 'Ready Freddy' that is causing the ills of this society, sexual or otherwise. Please, Jamaicans, find another scapegoat.

I am etc.,

Jermaine Myers

New York, NY