ALED Jones states that we should use eugenics to “stop ourselves from spawning those evil people who shoot and murder the innocent” (HAS, Aug 2).

Whom does he suggest eugenics be applied to? It’s not the chinless, inbred nobility who are descendants from robber barons who murdered, stole, oppressed and enslaved others for personal gain. It’s not the middle classes who for centuries have used their political power to send the nation’s young overseas to murder others so as to increase their power and wealth.

It’s not those on the Stock Exchange or in big business whose greed indirectly kills people while perpetuating the conditions for war and famine.

Nor is it political extremists who assault, dehumanise and murder others as their lack of intelligence prevents them seeing through their leaders’ lies.

No, the target is the usual undesirables.

There is no evidence that murder is rooted in genetics, but blaming actions on genetics, race, religion, culture or nationality is a simple way of avoiding the real cause of a problem, while eugenics is an excuse used by some to justify killing those who aren’t of the same race, creed or colour.

CT Riley, Spennymoor, Co Durham.