04/12/04

In fact, police were called upon to use reasonable force on strikers, people refusing to work.

These men involved themselves in unlawful picketing in a doomed attempt to bring our country to its industrial knees.

The police were placed in a difficult and dangerous position, and restored the Queen's peace to our highways, in itself one of our oldest and most commonsense laws.

In doing so, the officers showed a restraint and professionalism that was commented upon, in the face of an often violent, undisciplined, unemployed mob.

I seem to remember the same industry took it upon themselves to strike during the Second World War - obviously not bothered who won, just requiring more money in their pockets for what was a largely unskilled job - while our armed forces gave their lives to keep them free. - Joe Wellthorpe, North Ormesby.

TERRORISM

TONY Blair has probably been unjustly accused of being George Bush's poodle.

In fact, he has shown himself to be a most able pupil. Anyone who has seen Michael Moore's brilliant documentary film Fahrenheit 9/11 will notice the subtle (well, perhaps not so subtle) way in which our leader has copied President Bush's tactics.

As in the US, we are all subjected to a political campaign to fuel a climate of fear about terrorist attacks. It will be pursued to justify undemocratic and unjust legislation that will give politicians powers that are above any law. It will also be pursued to secure a further election victory for Blair, in spite of his huge unpopularity about the Iraq debacle.

The rhetoric is identical to that recently used in the US presidential election.

It is all rubbish! This country survived terrorism from Irish nationalists for over 100 years without the need for such legislation. If Mr Blair was genuinely worried about terrorism, he would have nothing to do with the foreign policy pursued by the Bush administration, which can only have the effect of making it more likely. - Carl Watson, Darlington.

SNARES

I WRITE regarding articles (Echo, Nov 16 and 29) concerning the discovery of a snared fox near Stanhope.

I am certain that anyone with a shred of human decency would have been as appalled and disgusted as I was to learn that a living, sentient creature died in such circumstances.

The mere fact that devices such as snares are legally permitted in a so-called civilised society is bad enough, but for this gamekeeper to have set it against wire fence, knowing it could inflict much suffering, is abhorrent.

I hugely admired animal welfare campaigner John Gill for exposing this atrocity, the like of which belongs in the Dark Ages, but I do feel, as a member of the RSPCA, that the organisation could do more about people who flout the set guidelines.

The gamekeeper in this particular case probably deserved more pity than the animals he tortures, but I know, without doubt, that I shall save my sympathy for innocent animals who try to live their lives as nature intended, rather than cruel and evil "human beings" such as he is. - Denise Anklam, Durham.

EDUCATION

I HAVE read that proposals in the forthcoming General Election will include plans to spend a great deal of money to control disruptive school children.

There always will be attention seekers. We all know everyone is different. Those of us over 80 years of age remember what happened to the trouble makers at school.

Any disruptive child was not allowed to destroy a class of 30 others. The disruptive child was warned. If a repeated warning was ignored, that child was caned as an example in front of the class. The lesson carried on as if nothing untoward had happened.

Something had happened: the whole class had learned a lesson about the difference between good and bad behaviour. It was most unusual for that same class to be disrupted throughout the rest of the term.

No one complained, and it did not cost a lot of extra money. Just part of a good education. - Tom Cockerham, Leeds.

IRAQ

I ALWAYS thought our media would report news fairly and with due attention to what is important.

Recently, we have been bombarded with events in Ukraine and an alleged David Blunkett indiscretion.

Both of these items are news, but not to the exclusion of almost everything else.

Why was the Sunday Mirror the only paper to reveal that the Americans have been using napalm in Iraq?

The use of napalm is forbidden by the UN. Why has Tony Blair not been challenged to find out if he was aware of this criminality?

I challenge The Northern Echo to explain why it was not mentioned in any edition.

In Iraq people are being killed every day - the full horror of Fallujah is not being properly reported. Why is this? What do they have to hide?

That is why I ask the question. Is the media colluding with the military or Government to hide the true facts from the rest of the world?

The American public will never be told the truth. Are we to be treated with the same contempt? - Hugh Pender, Darlington.

ID CARDS

THIS Government and other EU countries shamelessly use the atrocities in Madrid as a smokescreen for resurrecting and steam-rollering through the EU constitution which, once ratified, destroys the nation state and creates a United States of Europe.

Using this same culture of lies and deceit, Mr Blair is now gearing up to introduce ID cards using the ongoing exposures of the total fiasco of Labour immigration and asylum policy as proof of their necessity.

Of course, the Government will not allow little things like facts to get in the way as they barge through the legislation to introduce compulsory ID cards.

All the countries that have suffered major terrorist atrocities - US, Turkey, Bali and Spain - already have ID cards, yet it did not prevent the deaths of thousands.

Could not the lack of political guts to reinforce immigration and asylum policies, together with the abandonment of thorough border controls and a legal fraternity absolutely determined to protect the human rights of terrorists and criminals (not our rights, of course) be the causes of our feeling of insecurity and not the absence of a bit of plastic?

In the months ahead there will be justifiable anger at these plans to control our lives, in particular from all parties and groups that value liberty.

This anger must be turned into activity. The consequences of failure are deep and permanent - failure must not be an option. - Dave Pascoe, Press Secretary, UK Independence Party, Hartlepool Branch.