Dear Ms. Patricia PHILIPS,
It is with a great sense of relief that I learned, via the local media of the measures to be taken by your department,VOSEC against the increasing phenomenon of excessive noise pollution.
This practice has now gone way beyond being a just nuisance to most law-abiding citizens trying to enjoy their rights to peace.
It has become a 'tool' of dis-respect, intimidation of certain persons and it is contributing towards a state of lawlessness on this island.
Your department therefore should be highly applauded for taking the initiative to address this form of public aggression.
While obviously, one aspect of this phenomenon is that of nuisance to one's hearing, which drives many people crazy, there are also other related aspects that also need addressing.
For instance, the impact of this pulsating loud base sound on the natural functioning of one's own physical pacemaker, which can cause irregular heart-beats followed by heart-failure, in especially elderly people.
In addition, there are many studies, that indicate the impact of sustained levels of loud music on the learning-ability, as well as on the emotional conditions of people.
In certain countries consistently playing of loud music, is used as a form of torture, for obvious reasons.
Also, being exposed to consistently excessive loud music can arouse aggressive behavior.
It goes without saying that all of these, and other effects of senselessly loud music, must negatively affect the overall development of in particular children and young people in general.
Therefore, in order to add to the efficiency of the measures as proposed by VOSEC and in order to contribute towards an even more structural approach, it is my humble opinion, that it should be part of an integrated package to educate especially children, students and other young people, so that it becomes part of their own understanding as well.
To that end I suggest you consider setting up, or cooperate with the setting up of permanent 'multi-disciplinary' committee to promote the understanding of the dangers of excessively loud music and to teach young people, how to enjoy their favorite music WITHOUT being a nuisance to others, who might be very much effected by their loud music.
Members of such a structure should be among others; environmentalists, educators, health-care professionals, the prosecutors, 's office, talk show-hosts, members of the clergy, law-enforcement officers, community-councils, disc-jockeys and young people themselves etc.
In ending to you Mrs. PHILIPS and your colleagues, I say congratulated for finally addressing this very serious issue affecting thousands of people on the island.
I am certain that I speak for many people who have had to suffer this injustice for years and had no-one to turn to.
With respect,
--Leopold James
President SNBF & L'Esprit de Concordia
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