Hear All Sides

WAR AGAINST TERROR

ACTS of unimaginable violence against civilians have, regrettably, long become "normal": Dresden, Hamburg, Tokyo, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Cambodia, Rwanda, Srebenica, Iraq, New York, and just lately Afghanistan.

The list could start earlier with many more names, and it will no doubt continue into the future, with George Bush as President of the US.

The illusory search for security through military means has destroyed any respect for human life, as well as releasing uncontrollable demons.

The answer is for the enormous sums spent on military forces to be spent instead on the problems besetting our world: we need to live in a compassionate world, where the enemies are hunger on one hand and greed on the other. Conquer those enemies and there will be no terrorists.

The media ought to stop promoting the expectation of massive retaliation against those who promote terrorism: the Mosaic law of "eye for eye, tooth for tooth", which we see operating in the so-called Holy Land day in, day out, was opposed by Christ, and we also ought to oppose it before mankind becomes blind and toothless.

Not only does military retaliation solve nothing, it creates more problems and sows the seeds for more acts of terrorism. Upholding justice through the development and enforcement of a code of international law has to be the way ahead. - Rev J Stephenson, East Herrington, Sunderland.

SEDGEFIELD COUNCIL

SEDGEFIELD Borough Council has decided, after at least 30 years, to give all cookers and refrigerators to tenants as a Christmas box because, in terms of best value, keeping them is not considered value for money.

This means tenants will be faced with repair and maintenance costs they never expected or budgeted for.

The decision was made at the cabinet meeting on November 8 with no consultation; even the residents' associations had not been informed until I contacted them several days later.

I am pleased that 400 tenants in sheltered accommodation have been excused on fire safety grounds. However, I am afraid, on the same grounds, for other old tenants who for 30 years have never had to be responsible for maintenance and so may use an appliance beyond the danger point.

The council's best value excuse is a smokescreen. Costs should be reduced by better management and efficiency.

If the authority wishes to save money, I suggest it reduces the £870,000 which council tenants give it to run the community force control room. The room monitors cameras situated, not on council estates, but in town centres. - T Conley, Ferryhill.

IRELAND

E REYNOLDS has the right to free speech (HAS, Nov 21) but I believe he lacks knowledge of Irish history pre-1921 and the extent of oppression of past British regimes.

This is a famous account of how British troops, after the storming of Dunboy Castle in 1602, cornered many of the villagers on the Isle of Dursey, 200 yards offshore: "They shot down, hacked with swords or ran through with spears, the now disarmed garrison and others, old men, women and children, whom they had driven into one heap. Some rammed their swords up to the hilt through the babe and mother who was carrying it on her breast, others paraded before their comrades little children, writhing and convulsed on their spears and finally, binding all the survivors, they threw them into the sea over jagged and sharp rocks, showering on them shots and stones. In this way, perished about 300."

This is to remind all of the imperialistic ways of past British regimes. - Name and address supplied.

COCKFIELD

MIKE Amos gave us a wonderful glimpse of days gone by in his article about Cockfield Methodist Male Voice Choir and Edwin Coates (Echo, Nov 15). For many older readers, it must have brought back happy memories.

The Cockfielders were clearly no weaklings; they were strong, manly, hardworking miners and, for the most part, they were likewise strong and manly in their Christian faith.

It is a sad reflection of how times have changed that there are now so few faith-filled Christian men singing in our chapels and churches. It makes one pray that the old time religion that Edwin and his friends sang about so heartily will return. - EA Moralee, Billingham.

EUROPE

IS anyone really fooled by the "good cop/bad cop" routine of those masters of "smoke and mirrors" Tony Blair and Gordon Brown?

When the term "eurosceptic" is used in connection with the Chancellor and his supposedly cautious approach to the single currency, the origin of this deception will invariably turn out to be a "europhile" source.

The supposed "rift" between Blair and Brown is the stuff of fantasy. Shamefully, the intended dupes in this process are the people of Britain. Make no mistake, both of these "quislings in waiting" are equally anxious to deliver our proud nation lock, stock and barrel over to their puppet masters in Brussels.

"Prudent" Mr Brown is persistently telling us that "five economic tests" have to be met before he would propose joining the euro. This is pure fiction, and an insult to our intelligence. In the meantime, Mr Blair is using every opportunity to scare us into a yes vote in a referendum.

The issue of the single currency is not one of economics. This will not, however, prevent the "europhile" agencies presenting it as such, to the total exclusion of the political and constitutional consequences. The real issue is our survival as a free, parliamentary democracy. - D Pascoe, Hartlepool.