Today’s letters to The Courier.
Give cash for Olympics to riot victims instead Sir,-Boris (Johnson) and Dave (Cameron) should do the decent thing cancel the Olympics and divert the billions saved towards compensating the unfortunate victims of these disgraceful “UK riots”, and to cleaning up the part-incompetent and part-corrupt Metropolitan Police.
We in Scotland won’t complain.
London is welcome to the superb buildings and infrastructure (after all, we are used to pouring money into the pampered south-east of England).
In return, let us hear no more about how foolish the Scots would be to split off from the UK as we would clearly be unable to run our own country as well as London does.
David Roche.26 Forest way,Blairgowrie.
Soldiers should sent in
Sir,-Our army should not be in Afghanistan or Iraq, or indeed Libya, interfering in conflicts that should not concern us.
Troops should be sent into the London ghettos here in the UK to teach rioters a lesson about how they should behave.
And if they don’t listen and learn they should be rounded up and taken to Heathrow.
Political correctness has caused this and must be abolished.
The UK should take the gloves off now.
George Aimer.82 Kinghorne Road,Dundee.
Dim to target doughnuts
Sir,-No doubt the liberal chattering classes will trip over themselves to blame poverty for the recent outbreak of looting in London.
However, I note that some of the mobs’ main targets have been purveyors of mass market footwear, hamburgers and oversweet doughnuts.
One can only blame a poverty of imagination and unquestioning acceptance of an aspirational lifestyle largely promoted by advertising.
Real revolutionaries would have headed straight for the banks and in so doing might well have found support from a surprising proportion of the public.
John Eoin Douglas.7 Spey Terrace,Edinburgh.
Where are the Fife kestrels?
Sir,-Jack McKeown’s article on Gordon Riddle’s 40-year study of kestrels in Ayrshire (August 8) confirmed my fear that kestrel numbers are on the decline.
I live in country between Ceres and Baldinnie and cannot remember the last time I saw a kestrel.
It used to be a daily event to see one of these lovely birds hovering above a field margin 50 yards from my sitting-room window.
I see mice and field voles ideal food but no kestrels.
Have others in east Fife noticed this?
Graham Lang.Coaltown of Callange,Ceres.
Not so bright to flash lights
Sir,-Driving from Dundee to Glenrothes the other day, I noticed many vehicles coming towards me were flashing at oncoming traffic.
A couple of miles further on, a safety camera van sat at the side of the road targeting speeders.
I wonder if people who have lost loved ones in crashes still flash their lights in warning.
There were a couple of drivers on that journey, who, I feel, risked my safety by overtaking dangerously, and I would have been happy to see caught them for speeding.
John Strachan.23 Beechwood Avenue,Glenrothes.
Impact on banks to be considered
Sir,-In reply to Jim McGugan’s letter (August 9) I would suggest it is he who is confused, not I.
He seems to be making the assumption that a referendum on independence and membership of the EU are in some way disconnected, and that if a yes vote in favour of independence were to be achieved Scotland, as a new sovereign state, would automatically become a full member of the eurozone.
Has he forgotten that all existing members of the EU would be required to give their approval for such to happen?
We cannot pre-empt what might occur in such a situation, but for the sake of argument, what if the UK did not approve, nor Spain because of the boost it would give Catalonia, nor for that matter (and for much the same reason) Italy, because of the Northern League?
In any event, Scotland could not gain even one additional seat, far less double Scotland’s representation of MEPs, as he suggests, without joining the euro.
Has he given any consideration as to what impact that might have on Scottish banks, and Edinburgh’s role as an independent financial centre?
There is a very long list of complicated and awkward questions in need of an answer before the electorate rushes to tick the yes box in any forthcoming independence referendum.
Until we see the wording of a referendum on a future independent Scotland, and the SNP Scottish Government sees fit to supply it, all points and assumptions made by Jim McGugan remain of little real value.
Neil McKinnon.Tulchan Gardens,Glenalmond.
Elected to serve friend and foe
Sir,-Once again Nationalist MP Pete Wishart has failed to engage his brain before opening his mouth.
This time he is intent on suppressing discussion, even within his own party, on same sex marriages.
He does so by using inflammatory language to support opposition to fellow nationalist John Mason’s perfectly reasonable parliamentary motion calling for debate on this subject.
Mr Wishart should be reminded he is elected to represent all the people in his constituency, whether he agrees with them or not.
R. H. L. Mulheron.28 Cowgate,Tayport.
Get involved: to have your say on these or any other topics, email your letter to letters@thecourier.co.uk or send to Letters Editor, The Courier, 80 Kingsway East, Dundee DD4 8SL.