Sir, It seems from your report (March 30) that abortion rights campaigners demand the right to free speech but are unwilling to offer the same democratic right to anyone who disagrees with them.
Had abortion on demand been available back in 1945 it may well be the case that I would not be here now, and so, as someone who was born “out of wedlock”, I feel I have the right to speak for those who have no voice, the unborn children.
The protesters seen in your photograph are carrying signs saying, “No Return To Back Street Abortions” and “My Body My Choice”.
In today’s climate of freely available birth control and the morning-after pill, there is no need for any woman to become pregnant if she does not want to, barring being the victim of rape. There is then, no logical need for any return to back street abortions.
On the issue of choice, surely women have already made a choice when they decided not to make use of birth control before or immediately after a sexual experience. The one person in this scenario who has absolutely no choice, is the unborn child. To obliterate the potential of an unborn child because of the inconvenience of an unwanted pregnancy and the failure to make a sensible choice is, morally reprehensible. But then I am only seeing this from my personal viewpoint as someone who might have become a victim of abortion.
I survived and feel I have the duty to speak out.
I say that abortion should only be available for victims of sexual crime, or if there is a clear medical need for a woman’s pregnancy to be terminated.
My birth mother, who did not have the “convenience” of abortion on demand and who did not make use of any back street abortionist, carried me to full term after which I was adopted by a childless couple who brought me up to be what I hope is a useful member of society.
All I ask is that the mothers of all unwanted, unborn children, should give their offspring the same chance.
Captain Ian F. McRae. 17 Broomwell Gardens, Monikie.
Alternative A9 solution
Sir, The Friday last I ventured north using the infamous A9, joining at Dunkeld and leaving at Dalwhinnie.
The standard of driving was exemplary, no doubt as a direct result of the average-speed cameras.
Heavy-goods vehicles were moving well atthe revised trial limit of 50mph.
The journey was bordering on stress free.
Why do we need to go to the enormous expense of dualling the A9 when careful monitoring of the cameras and their impact, coupled with additional crawler priority overtakinglanes could provide the solution?
They feature on the road north of Dalwhinnie.
The money saved could be directed at maintaining other trunk roads.
The A97 from Invergarry to Kyle has massive craters, serious car-eating pot holes.
I rest my case.
David Gilbertson. Leystone House, Coupar Angus.
Stop interfering with teachers
Sir, Doubtless Alex Salmond, the former SNP leader, has wide experience in many areas.
However, as far as I know, Mr Salmond has absolutely no experience in teaching, let alone that of being a head-teacher and the attendant responsibilities.
He would do well to stop interfering and let teachers get on with exercising their own experienced judgment and discretion to do whatthey do best, teach, rather than apparently trying to control what is taught in our schools.
Some might even describe the former First Minister’s call for one particularheadteacher to ‘hang her head in shame’ over her choice of texts for her pupils as bullying.
It used to be said that in France, every school throughout the country taught exactly the same lessons at the same time.
Do we really want sucha centralised and micro-managed system in Scotland’s schools?
Jane Ann Liston. 5 Whitehill Terrace, Largo Road, St Andrews.
Ask politicians about TTIP
Sir, I was one of a group of people from Stop TTIP Dundee who came together in the city centre to look for signatories from the people of Dundee.
We were heartened by the interest people took in finding out more about TTIP, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership between the European Union and the United States and the very secret negotiations that are going on. This deal would see an end to our own protective mechanisms in safeguarding our food, our environment, our labour conditions and our right to run our public services, for example, the National Health Service.
The assertion being made that job opportunities would arise are groundless.
The deal is designed to benefit big corporations.
They could, if this goes through, force governments to pay vast sums of taxpayers’ money if laws don’t suit their shareholders, such as banning fracking.
More than 250 people signed a petition to tell their MP candidates to protect public services and come out against TTIP.
I would urge everyone to ask their General Election candidates where they stand on TTIP and, if they support it, why?
Maggie Llanwarne. 8 Glasclune Way, Dundee.
Just the business
Sir, What a refreshing insight into business developments and future hopes from the business community in your new business supplement (March 31).
Andrew Argo’s interesting article on Dr Parkes’ spacewire project and business was an eye opener. I doubt if many people are aware of this astounding technology and its applications.
Business Matters also contained two excellent, thoughtful and instructive contributions by the CEOs of Scottish Chambers and Aberdeen Asset.
Martin Gilbert’s insight into avoiding the pitfalls of being head of a large company should be studied not only by private business managers but also all of our national quango and local authority executives.
I am not much of a computer games man but the younger generation are, so good luck to The Courier with your new supplement.
A T Geddie. 68 Carleton Avenue, Glenrothes. Brian Rattray. 124/2 Gylemuir Road Edinburgh.
Time to silence Katie Hopkins
Sir, I wish the media would stop giving coverage to the attention-seeking Katie Hopkins.
I sense the British people have had enough of her spiteful outbursts.
At the weekend shedisrespectfully tweeted apicture of the MP SimonDanczuk with the eight men accused of child exploitation and asked if he was friends with them.
How offensive is this woman prepared to be and how low will she stoop?
Not content with insulting obese people, victims of the Clutha pub tragedy and the Scottish nurse who recovered from Ebola, her behaviour is getting worse, yet the media still continues to give hercoverage.
Despite 75,000 signatures calling for her to be banned from television after her comments on the Cultha tragedy, why is she still continuing hersenseless and deeply offensive rants?
Gordon Kennedy. 117 Simpson Square, Perth.
Scotland faces housing crisis
Sir, Scotland is mired in a housing crisis.
Overall housing production is 40% lower than in 2007 despite a record populationand a growing number of households.
Some 150,500 people are on housing waiting lists and an estimated 21,500 new homes are required each year to meet demand, yet fewer than 15,000 were built last year.
Indeed, it is nearly two years since Audit Scotland highlighted the need for half-a-million new homes over the next25 years.
We are sure that the Scottish Government recognises that more homes are needed. Indeed, this is essential if the First Minister’s aspirations for fairness and equality are to be achieved.
However, while allpolitical parties south of the border have been setting targets as part of their General Election manifestos and announcing new housing initiatives, the ScottishGovernment remains silent.
Its latest housing statistics for the year to end September 2014 highlight an increase in production of 6% compared with the same period the previous year.
But significant questionsremain surrounding the sustainability of this increase amid the funding issue surrounding the Scottish Government’s Help to Buy shared equity scheme and a production drop-off in the last quarter.
So we urge the Scottish Government to take thebold and decisive action which is long overdue and needed now on planning, landavailability, funding and help for SME builders to ensurewe have enough homes inthe right locations to properly house our growing population.
Philip Hogg. Chief Executive, Homes for Scotland, 5 New Mart Place, Edinburgh.
We are facing dangerous future
Sir, I have always been wary of the Scottish National Party’s centralising of andhunger for power, but it was with disbelief that I read (March 30) that the party have introduced a gagging order on their members along with asexually discriminatorypolicy of women-only short lists.
To top this off, apparently no count was actually taken of votes, as it was ‘obviously decisive’.
We are sleep-walkingour way to an Orwellianfuture.
Malcolm Thomson. 45 Westerloan, Milnathort.