Wednesday’s correspondents examine compulsory bells for pet cats, the chances of a new Royal Arch for Dundee, Labour’s voting system and Hitler using the name of Jesus Christ.
Cat owners must take action to save wild birds Sir,-With reference to your cat correspondence, I seem to remember that the RSPB recommended that two bells be fitted to cats’ collars to make sure they could not stop ringing.
I agree that cats are a real menace. The damage they do is catastrophic, not just here but all over the world.
But it is within the control of owners to stop this carnage.
They should be forced to fit bells and any cats found without bells should be picked up by the local authority.
That would solve the problem.
Iain Mitchell.Hawkhill,Dundee.
Little hope of new Royal Arch
Sir,-While I have sympathy with the contents of Bruce Connelly’s letter (September 24) regarding the Royal Arch in Dundee, I am afraid Dundee has not got a good record for looking after, or preserving, its architectural heritage.
I suggested in a previous letter that I am convinced that if Edinburgh’s Royal Mile had been in Dundee, it would have been demolished a long time ago.
The Royal Victoria Arch was in a sorry state after years of neglect when it was demolished to make way for the Tay Road Bridge.
There was vegetation sprouting from it and I do not recall the clock ever working.
The arch was built to celebrate the visit of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert to Dundee. In fact, the arch they saw and passed through was a wooden one constructed for their visit and replaced by the stone arch.
It would be nice to see a new arch built but this is unlikely due to the economic climate and I would prefer to hold on to the few notable buildings we have left.
R. H. L. Mulheron.28 Cowgate,Tayport.
Where will cyclists park?
Sir,-Can Perth and Kinross Council say how many pedestrians and cyclists they expect to use the new pedestrian and cycle bridge each year and, if the pedestrians have travelled by car to the bridge, where they will park their cars?
Garry Barnett.The Garden House,Campsie Hill,Guildtown.
Update Labour voting system
Sir,-Since Saturday, every time I have turned to my radio, television or newspaper I have heard or read questions about how the trade unions voted for Ed Miliband.
Yet, no mention is made of the MPs/MEPs having 33% of the vote within the college.
When I was a Euro MP, I used to use my leadership votes under the instructions of my European Constituency Labour Party.
Many of the Labour MPs are new members who probably only met any of the five candidates on a few occasions and, therefore, have little knowledge of them except for what they have read yet their vote vastly outweighs mine.
The current system reminds one why we have needed campaigns for fair votes throughout the ages.
Alex Falconer.2 Greenacres,Kingseat.
Christmas is not Christian
Sir,-I would point out to Isabel Wardrop (September 25) that nowhere in the Bible does it state a date of birth for Jesus.
The date of December 25 for the birth of the saviour was taken from earlier pagan saviour gods.
Many of these gods were born of a virgin, crucified by their followers and rose three days after death. Many of them predated the Jesus story.
The Christian position on this blatant plagiarism of paganism is to say that Satan knew that Jesus would be born so he counterfeited the event in advance.
That explanation was formulated by early Church apologists and has not changed since.
Christmas is not an original Christian ceremony.
All of the symbolism was taken from Nordic paganism. The only people who have ever fought a “war” on Christmas were the Christian Puritans in the 17th century. They regarded Christmas as wasteful.
Alan Hinnrichs.2 Gillespie Terrace,Dundee.
Insult to German Nazi opponents
Sir,-With reference to Murray Duncan (September 24), the writer expresses himself insulted by the Pope’s comparing aggressive secularism with Nazism.
I am not a Roman Catholic and would not, therefore, be expected to launch a defence of the Pope, except to say that he does have personal experience of both aggressive secularism and Nazism.
I follow the contributions of your regular atheistic letter writers with interest, to see if there’s anything new.
I am a Christian with a well thought-out faith and there is no chance of my being influenced into acceptance of any other faith, especially that of the atheist.
However, as a believer in everyone’s right to freedom to choose his faith, I would certainly grant that right to the atheist.
But now it is my turn to feel that I could be insulted by your letter writer.
He quoted Hitler whose use of the name of Christ and his claim of what Christ said was totally without foundation and was merely the kind of propaganda poured out by the mendacious creature who persuaded Chamberlain that he was a man of peace.
And by your letter writer’s so doing, he linked me, and every other Christian, with that evil man.
Does the atheist writer of the letter in question have any idea of what Hitler did to those courageous German Christians who voiced their opposition to him in the name of Christ?
James Thomson.14 Vardon Drive, Glenrothes.
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.