Up for discussion today: rights and responsibilities, the future of Lochee, a plea to capitalise on renewable energy, and the need to overcome pessimism.
Defend freedom of speech and right to march Sir,-Authorities appear to readily grant permission for gay parades, pro-Palestine rallies, pro-abortion demonstrations and trade union rallies to take place.
However, by contrast, applications for Orange Order parades (I have no affiliation with this organisation) are regularly treated with condemnation and vociferous opposition (July 5).
Ultimately, they are usually granted but only after threats of appeal to European courts.
It should be remembered that all parades and demonstrations give rise to both support and opposition, require policing and may cause some traffic disruption.
Nevertheless, the right to free speech and peaceful demonstration must be maintained.
All organisations should be treated equally fairly, regardless of whether or not their views are supported by a majority of those making the decision.
It is not right that threats of unrest and disorder should be used as intimidating tactics to prevent those parades taking place with which some may disagree. The cost of parades could be controlled by limiting the numbers of participants and the frequency of the events.
(Dr) Bernard W. Senior.18 Hillside Terrace,Dundee.
Fresh start for Lochee?
Sir,-On Saturday afternoon around 2pm, we were in Lochee for a few messages and had a seat on one of the new benches at the bottom of Bright Street.
Looking along the High Street, all it needed was some tumbleweed rolling between the closed-down shops and the shuttered business premises to make it resemble a wild west ghost town, with not a sheriff to be seen.
There were so few people about, it was like a flag day in Aberdeen.
Surely, with the improvement to the street and footpaths, and, it is to be hoped, a new respect and appreciation of the money spent on the makeover, Lochee shops and businesses will start to attract people back to an area which used to pride itself on its friendly neighbourhood image instead of what has happened over the last 15 years.
People of all ages should take a pride in their precinct and everyone should be able to go about their shopping in a safe and friendly way.
There will always be criticism of changes and how the money could have been put to better use but with the right attitude, and again, respect for people and property, this could be the start Lochee has needed for a long time.
Frank Galloway.40 Dalrymple TerraceDundee.
Don’t blow wind potential
Sir,-With reference to your recent reports on the potential of wind generation to benefit Scotland, I cannot understand why all levels of government do not grasp this opportunity.
We could return to an engineering and wealth-creating economy instead of a wealth-spending economy.
We have the skills, we have the ingenuity and we have the expertise to capitalise on offshore wind and manufacture wave and tidal hardware.
Let’s stop buying wind turbines from Germany and give our own workforce the contracts.
Let’s use the deep-water ports and facilities at Dundee, the Clyde, Kishorn, Portavadie, Methil, Ardersier, Nigg, Aberdeen, Shetland and Orkney.
The possibility of a North Sea continental interconnector will open up great opportunities to supply all our needs, with the spare capacity being sold to the Continent to gain foreign currency, which would be the pay-back of today’s investment.
This, in turn, will give us security of supply in electricity and free us from reliance on Russian gas for electricity generation.
We must stop allowing expertise created here to be developed elsewhere and then sold back to us at our cost.
Look what Scotland has given to the world in the past, the myriad technological achievements.
This time, let us get on with it and help reduce the number of unemployed and give our people a target, a goal, which will provide that sense of purpose, of which some have surely given up on.
Bradley Borland.Kinfauns,Perth.
Overcoming pessimism
Sir,-When I was growing up in the west-central coalfields of Scotland in the late 1940s, the post-war years of rationing and shortages were brightened by a general feeling of optimism.
However, by the time I left for university in 1960, the hope that things were getting better had been replaced by a pessimism which has remained to the present day.
It started with population explosion, mass famine, advancing deserts, returning ice ages, thinning ozone layers, nuclear winters, acid rain and the world’s oil running out.
Across the decades, doomsters such as Greenpeace and Prince Charles have added global warming, floods, pestilence, GM crops, plagues of frogs and the oil running out.
Yet I have greatly enjoyed the last half century, seen improvements almost everywhere and I suspect my children will do the same in spite, of course, of the oil running out.
(Dr) John Cameron.10 Howard Place,St Andrews.
Wishful thinking
Sir,-Steve Dron’s absurd reply (July 2) to Myer Green’s letter of June 25 is a perfect example of someone believing whatever he wants to believe, totally regardless of the evidence — I believe, therefore, it is true.
Flora Selwyn.43 North Castle Street,St Andrews.
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.