Sir, – Having had sufficient time to digest Jamie Buchan’s mean-spirited letter (Courier, September 27) regarding the recent Dundee Pride march, I had to question why Mr Buchan felt the need to correspond via The Courier at all if, as he says, his letter was not motivated by “homophobia” at any level?
Something he feels compelled to point out whilst quickly following up with the somewhat bizarre statement that he is “neither for nor against” gay people.
One can’t help wondering if Mr Buchan would have felt similarly compelled to question march nomenclature if said march had been Dundee “Christian” Pride rather than “LGBT” Pride?
If he was confused about the use of the word “pride” then perhaps he could have done a little research into the history of LGBT Pride marches.
It may surprise him to learn Dundee isn’t exactly blazing a trail here.
Now I’m not gay but I’m going to hazard a guess that the “pride” these good people are expressing is in the not inconsiderable achievement of changing attitudes and law in a country (that would be Scotland) that until as recently as the 1980s outlawed homosexuality.
A human rights campaign, for that is what it is, that has turned our country into a more tolerant, and dare I say it, inclusive nation.
However it would appear, if Mr Buchan’s attitude is anything to go by, the LGBT community has still some work to do yet.
So on behalf of my many LGBT friends and relatives, and in particular my mother-in-law Linda and her lovely wife Jane, could I just say to you Mr Buchan “sshh you silly little man”?
Mark Arbuthnott.
Market Street,
Brechin.
Plenty to be proud about
Sir, – I was left confused by Jamie Buchan’s Courier letter (September 27) with regard to his use of the term “hijack” in reference to the use of the word “Pride” by the LGBT community, relating to the first Pride march in Dundee.
Why should the LGBT community not be proud of being true to themselves despite societal pressure, of representing others elsewhere in the world who do not have a voice and of promoting equality, diversity and inclusivity, while having seldom experienced this in their own lives, from others?
If this is not an “achievement’” then tell me what is.
Not only was it an uplifting, positive and family-friendly event but it was a poignant reminder that it hasn’t been all feather boas and rainbows for this community.
Throughout history they have been outlawed and “shamed”, forced to hide their true identity or risk persecution.
Clearly Jamie was so enchanted by the fashion on display (the “cross between Village People and Greenpeace” that he described sounds great) that he failed to notice the smiling faces everywhere, from the various generations taking part in the march, to the onlookers, the pub regulars who stood outside and waved, traffic wardens and toddlers in buggies.
The LGBT community should be proud.
Alison Dey.
16 Kilnburn,
Newport-on-Tay.
Sympathy for local business
Sir, – With reference to your article regarding the new Monifieth church and the impact it is having on the Bookhouse coffee shop (“Shop owner in unholy row with kirk project”, Courier, September 27) I, and I am sure all other right-minded people, would agree with the Rome brothers that the closure of the pavement on Monifieth’s main thoroughfare for such a lengthy period of time is ridiculous.
In fact I think the whole concept is ridiculous.
Where are people to park?
The car park across the road from the new church is almost always full to capacity and I am sure that Tesco will soon clamp down if churchgoers park in their car park.
Given the available alternatives, quite how this whole fiasco gained planning permission just baffles myself and everyone I talk to.
Unfortunately it is now too late to prevent the chaos that will inevitably occur, especially when funerals and weddings take place.
Ian Stewart.
12 Boyack Crescent,
Monifieth.
Time to ask the people again
Sir, – I was pleased, as always, to read another of Dr Cameron’s excellent letters on Brexit in The Courier (September 27).
While he was on holiday in Italy, my wife and I were on holiday in France, where, for a couple of weeks, we had the pleasure of watching the news on French television without hearing a single mention of the dreaded “B” word; until, that is, there was a report on Mrs May’s petulant response to the EU leaders’ wholly predictable rejection of her Chequers plan.
By contrast, a few days later, we watched President Macron’s brilliant denunciation of President Trump’s pathetic isolationist speech to the United Nations.
Macron demonstrated true statesmanship – a quality sadly lacking at this time among our own political leaders.
He clearly won the respect of those present.
Respect is a quality that must be earned.
As Dr Cameron so rightly says, in relation to Mrs May, “someone who has to demand respect, has already lost it”.
The Prime Minister will, of course, say that she is simply trying to fulfil the will of the people.
Did those who voted “leave” really anticipate the present shambolic situation?
Surely the time has come when the “will of the people” must be tested again by one means or another.
Professor Andy Grieve.
20 Albany Road,
Broughty Ferry.
Gas reservoir is good news
Sir, – A major new reservoir of gas has been discovered off the Scottish coast and has the potential to deliver around one trillion cubic feet of recoverable gas which can use existing pipelines and the Shetland gas plant.
One might think this would be widely received as good news but no, Doomsday prophet Dr Richard Dixon, director of Friends of Earth Scotland, says it should remain in the ground.
Scotland has a miniscule 0.13% of global emissions and does Dr Dixon really think that the developing world will not use the world’s plentiful supply of cheap fossil fuels?
Oil resources 190 years, natural gas 230 years and coal 2,900 years.
Instead of moaning about Scotland he should embark on a world trip starting with China, which is responsible for 30% of global emissions, and lecture them.
Would we ever see him again?
Clark Cross.
138 Springfield Road,
Linlithgow.
Alarmists treat us as fools
Sir, – The global warming and climate change alarmists never mention the effect of the differing elliptical orbit of earth around the sun, and the way earth also variably tilts on its axis during that orbit.
They deliberately ignore how this controls our weather, because carbon emissions have already been blamed for global warming and climate change, so justifying windmills and other scatty schemes offers a career for the scientists, plus taxation opportunities for government – as well as something to frighten us with.
Clearly, there is no chance of altering the earth’s trajectory around the sun, which is what actually controls our climate over the centuries, so we are being treated as fools for financial and political purposes.
Malcolm Parkin.
15 Gamekeepers Road,
Kinnesswood,
Kinross.
Politicians are letting us down
Sir, – We hear politicians talking endlessly about immigration and how it is going to work after we leave the EU.
It seems our politicians don’t understand why people voted to leave.
Our country is full of people from the third world and Eastern Europe.
Why are they here?
We are not short of people, what we are short off is politicians who put the indigenous people first.
We should be training our own to fill jobs.
Perhaps it is time we had a referendum on immigration.
John G Phimister.
63 St Clair Street,
Kirkcaldy.