Letters to the Editor - September 18th

Sep 18 2007 Liverpool Daily Post

Time to stop the gangs

MY HEART goes out to Rhys Jones’s family and friends. There is no excuse for what happened. The thugs these days think they can do whatever they want, no matter whose lives are destroyed. People saying these gangs come from deprived areas is a joke. People had nothing years ago but they didn’t turn into a pack of animals, they respected their communities and their family.

The parents of these gang members should have to answer for them as they have brought them up without any discipline or respect for others. They don’t care what they are doing.

These areas should have curfews on people being out at night and being in groups unless they are accompanied by a parent.

At the moment, when they get moved on, youngsters just come back when the police have gone or just move onto the next corner. If parents won’t stop their children doing wrong, then they should be evicted from their homes. That would make them care about where they are and what they are doing. Hoodie coats should also be banned.

I am a single parent and none of my children have ever been in a gang or been in any trouble with the police; they were brought up with love and discipline and we respect each other. We have to stop these gangs now for the decent kids that thousands of us have brought up. It is too late for the Jones family.

Mary, Fazakerley

Great performance

THE most sincere compliment is that from the cynic who concedes he was wrong in his presumptuousness. I attended the Phil’s Opening Flourish concert as a polite ritual, similar to standing for the national anthem. Let’s get behind the Phil.

Correction. The RLPO got behind me, for rarely have I experienced a more exhilarating performance from our orchestra and its black-clad maestro. Had the lights been down, I swear that his baton would have appeared as a sparkler.

With affection, he is our Vasily. To the world, he is Petrenko. There are very few conductors who include in their string section the heart strings of their audience. Vasily Petrenko is one of them. Cape Canaveral would find it difficult to follow that launch; and the best is yet to come.

Michael McLaughlin, L8

Look at the labels

I AM passionate about cooking and good food, and it should be about having fun and exploring new tastes and ideas.

But we also need to give a bit of thought to where our food comes from, who produces it and how.

You might be really surprised how much a simple choice you make about what to have for your Sunday roast can have on the lives of farm animals,

But, if you think about it, the more you buy products from farmers who rear to high welfare standards, the more you encourage them and others to raise their standards.

September 24-30 is Farm Animal Week run by the RSPCA’s Freedom Food, the charity’s farm animal welfare scheme.

It is really about asking us all not to just chuck our shopping into the trolley on autopilot – as it is easy to do – but to look at the labels on things like chicken, meat, eggs and fish before we buy them and make sure they have come from animals that have been reared to high welfare standards.

So, please look out for the labels such as RSPCA Freedom Food, not just this week but whenever you go shopping.

I believe that animals humanely reared will produce a better quality product – so your choice will be good for farm animals, good for our farmers and good for you.

Antony Worrall Thompson

An eye-opener

THE recent Later Life Convention, held in Hulme Hall on Friday, September 14, was an absolute eye-opener to our growing population of elderly people.

The volume of people who were able to receive valuable information was amazing, bearing out the theory that too many of our older citizens are losing out on numerous benefits they are fully entitled to.

Freely available at the convention was information on insurance, savings, help and assistance of all kinds, both practical and sensible application of equipment and technology that goes a long way to making life more comfortable for both able-bodied and disabled members of our communities that have contributed so much to the area all their lives.

Age Concern, the overall organisers, have a lot to be very proud of in their efforts to see that older people get a fair deal.

Hugh Sandy Cameron, Wirral Older People’s Parliament, Birkenhead

Election victory

CONGRATULATIONS to Cllr Richard McLinden – the new Labour councillor for Warbreck Ward who turned a 1,400 Lib-Dem majority into a Labour majority of over 750 – a swing of over 33%.

This victory is down to at least two factors. First, hard work on the ground by Cllr Ann O’Byrne – who was elected in May – and the Labour team in Warbreck Ward. Second, the people of Warbreck have sent a message to the Liberal Democrat administration that they have had enough after the Mathew Street fiasco and other large-scale failures that embarrassed Liverpool nationally and internationally.

I am proud to be leading the Labour Party in Liverpool – but let us hope the damage inflicted by the current Lib-Dems leadership is not irreparable by the time their hold on power is finally ended.

Cllr Joe Anderson, Liverpool Labour Group Leader

A man of vision

I THINK that it is great news that Phil Redmond has now taken a leading role on the revamped Capital of Culture board.

This is a man who has been very successful in his television career and, more importantly, a man who appears to have Liverpool’s interests at heart. After all, he worked on his TV shows up here when everyone else was busy acting as if London was the centre of the world.

He is obviously a man of great vision and drive.

I hope everyone involved in the Capital of Culture year will get behind him 100% and let him help us have the year of celebration that we deserve after so many false starts.

P Abbott, Halewood

Maritime delights

WHAT a week it’s been for maritime fans in Liverpool. I had a lovely time nipping down to the docks for the various events like the arrival of the two cruise liners and the tall ship Mercedes (which was breathtaking, by the way).

But the best event by far was the start of the Clipper race on Sunday. The weather was not the best in the afternoon, but there was a fantastic atmosphere and everyone was in high sprits.

The river is one of the city’s best assets, and it is good to see us making the most of it in this way. I will be back there this week for the arrival of the QE2, and I have a feeling I won’t be the only one.

K Swift, Aigburth

Polluting our planet

IN THE article about the Bishop of Liverpool signing up to the conservation of the world’s rainforests (Daily Post, September 13), it was mentioned that deforestation is the cause of up to 25% of climate change emissions. A report 12 months ago stated that cattle breaking wind (I am being polite) accounted for 17% of global emissions.

Instead of Cameron and Co inventing new taxes which would have no effect at all, as Britain only produces 2½ of emissions, why don’t we stop chopping down trees and ensure all cattle are fitted with a cattle-lytic converter?

Ron Heslin, Neston

Over the top

AS FAR as the continuing debate over feet on seats is concerned, people seem to have completely missed the point.

No two ways about it – putting feet on seats is inconsiderate and should be stopped, but prosecution is totally over the top.

Like I said in my previous letter, how often have we seen young people get away with a wrist-slap for offences such as theft, vandalism or assault? Why can't we prosecute these offences and let a fixed penalty suffice for feet on seats?

If people do it persistently, then that's the time to take further action, but that should only be used as a last resort.

Philip Ion, Greasby

An equal society

HILARY BURRAGE makes a most valid point when she talks about the people running Liverpool’s Culture celebrations are all white males (Daily Post Letters, September 17).

This is not good in what is supposed to be an equal society.

I don’t think, however, that this is necessarily a situation anyone has deliberately created, but it is not too late to change it.

Ms Burrage is absolutely right when she says having such a singular perspective on matters will make it difficult for them to meet the needs of everyone.

L Mather, Mossley Hill

Disgraceful decision

I THINK that Gordon Brown’s decision to let Maggie (Thatcher) back into Number 10 is disgraceful.

Public sector workers, most of whom in recent years have experienced cut after cut must be wondering why their union leaders continue to mentor the Labour leader and fund this nonsense.

I don’t wish to continue lest people miss my point.

J Carmichael, Southport

Eyesore artwork

A BIG fuss is being made about the lovely artwork that has been designed to wrap up Liverpool “eyesores”, as you call them, in 2008.

Well, yes, the artwork is rather splendid but I am sure that I am not alone in thinking it would have been a lot better had this work, especially on our landmark buildings, not had to take place in our most important year.

M Stokes, Waterloo