Hear All Sides

HEALTH SERVICE

IT is dogma and other daft policies which are at the heart of the problem facing the NHS.

In France, when one goes to a doctor or to hospital, the patient pays and then claims the money back through insurance. So, it would suggest that a free service is a figment of the mind and a misconception.

For a start, anyone earning £100,000 or more should not be using the NHS, and for those on between £50,000 to £100,000 there should be a sliding scale.

Everyone who goes into hospital should pay a nominal fee for their food. That happens on the continent. It would put huge resources into the NHS, and private medicine would improve the expertise of staff.

The NHS is nothing more than a failure in its present situation and we should do what has to be done for the benefit of us all. - John Young, Crook.

MODERN SOCIETY

WHAT has happened to this country since the war? Where is the pride, guts and determination?

Have we turned the young ones into greedy, spineless humans? Who is to blame?

People want everything before they find work. They want houses, spend thousands on kitchens and most cannot cook or do housework.

Where has personal pride gone? Most kept their houses, inside and out, clean. Now councils are expected to do everything.

Why do the young ones need drink and drugs to enjoy themselves? Surely they have high spirits enough to enjoy life without help.

They are our's and the country's future, let's help them. Let's give them some good ideals to live up to.

When a great deal they admire is artificial, who can they respect? - R Gent, Crook.

WAR ON TERRORISM

I AM a firm believer in the freedom of the media to keep us informed of what is going on in the world.

However, my belief in the objectivity and integrity of the media has been badly eroded since the events of September 11. For example, we have just had more terrorist attacks in Israel. They are certainly to be deplored and Yasser Arafat has said so. The media coverage has been extensive and detailed.

However, in Afghanistan, there has been hundreds of deaths of innocent civilians caused by indiscriminate bombing of villages by the US.

The silence from the media and the US and UK governments has been deafening. The killing of Afghan soldiers by the Northern Alliance aided and abetted by US and UK military has gone largely unreported.

The fact that they had their hands tied behind their backs has been glossed over. This sort of thing is generally thought to be a war crime. But will anyone be held responsible? I doubt it.

Double standards par excellence.

George Bush is now planning to bomb Iraq, Somalia and any other country that takes his fancy.

He is emerging at the greatest threat to world peace for a long time and his actions will ensure that countless innocent people will die. - Hugh Pender, Darlington.

PETER MULLEN

BOTH Mr McManus and the Rev J Stephenson (HAS, Nov 29), and others before them, complained about the comments of Peter Mullen in his weekly column.

Mr Mullen has the right to express his opinions, even if they appear to be against the teachings of Jesus Christ, his spiritual master.

However, I must take the Rev Stephenson to task when he condemned Mr Mullen by saying it is "an absolute insult to those Christians who are endeavouring to live by the law of Christ rather than the Law of Moses".

May I point out that it was Jesus himself who said: "Do not think I have come to abolish the Law or the prophets; I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfil them".

Jesus was a Jew and practised the Law of Moses. He was not a Law-bearing prophet, nor did he initiate a new religion. He came only, as he himself said: "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel" and he also admonished his disciples to do likewise. - B Atkinson, Stockton-on-Tees.

DRUGS POLICY

IF a way is not found soon to stem the growing tide of drug addiction, the people of this country will find themselves in virtually an inextricable position.

In some cases, children as young as nine are injecting themselves with lethal Class A drugs such as heroin.

The reason is simple, youngsters, and probably adults too, have developed an insatiable desire to lead the movie star lifestyle they read about in the glossies. They need to display to their friends that they have made it, to proclaim by their drug taking.

In its teachings on drugs and drug ethics, the mind of the Hollywood film industry is deeply corrupt. For the message that seems increasingly to come through from the celluloid ruling elite is that kids should not insist on a drug-free lifestyle because it is just all too non-cool for them.

This has become wearisomely familiar ground since the John Dean era. - Aled Jones, Bridlington.

CHARITY RIDE

ON behalf of Mencap, the charity for children and adults with a learning disability, I'd like to raise my glass and invite those of you with a nose for adventure to come and explore the lush, floral landscapes of rural South Africa.

This ten-day, 483km bike ride begins in the town of Ceres, the country's largest fruit juice-producing region. From there, you will cycle north, past vineyards, citrus trees, and via the brick reds and deep purples of the Cape's spectacular, mountains. Your journey ends at Bloubergestarnd with a stunning view of Table Mountain and the Cape of Good Hope.

You don't need a lot of bottle, just a taste for discovery and a minimum sponsorship fee of £300 to cover travel costs.

If you'd like to take part, then please call 0845 9777 779 to receive your South Africa bike ride pack or email: events