DEAR EDITOR, - I profoundly disagree with your Comment column 'Violence breeds violence' (April 20th), and must support the councillor referred to.

In the last 50 to 60 years the do-gooders have done away with the cane, the birch, approved schools, Borstals and capital punishment (I notice our admirably trained Army still has the glasshouse).

And what have we in their place? Over the whole country millions of pounds worth of CCTV screens so police can watch gangs of drunken, fighting, drugged-up, vomiting yobs in the town centres without being able to do much about it.

Old people being afraid to go out at night, stupid vandalism costing scores of thousands of pounds, even, locally, bus drivers having to be protected by tough plastic screens, 'sink' estates dominated by gangs of intimidating children, assaults on rail staff (5,980 in 2004), hundreds, yes hundreds, of obstructions on rail tracks, schools without discipline - oh need I go on?

If violence breeds violence, as you maintain, then an awful lot of people must have had a hell of a leathering in their past.

At school if I misbehaved badly I got the cane which hurt and caused me to think about behaving myself and realise it didn't pay not to. It will be said that we behave ourselves only because of fear of retribution. Obviously that does not apply to everyone, but if that's what it takes, so be it.

A lot more self-discipline and self-respect is needed, the whole ethos of present-day - 'you, Jack, I'm all right' needs to change.

Perhaps the do-gooders could turn their tiny minds to that and make the law-abiding among us less fearful of the violent future. I'm quite glad I'm not young any more.

J. J. CLARK Blaen-y-coed, Llysyfran.