Please see below a letter received from Muirhouse Womans Group.
Dear Editor
We are writing to you regarding an article in the Evening News on 1st September about a leaked email in which Councillor Elaine Morris described members of our community in North Edinburgh (which she represents) as ‘rabid’ and ‘anti-establishment’.
We looked up ‘rabid’ in the dictionary. One of the definitions is ‘fanatical’. This is very insulting, as it implies that the local people who organised the public meeting to inform our community about the Council’s proposals to privatise services are stupid. We are very angry and disgusted that Cllr Morris has such a low opinion of local people who are trying to protect the services our community needs.
In the email, Cllr Morris referred to members of our community as ‘anti-establishment’. If this means speaking up for our community, voicing our opinions, standing up for our rights and trying to make our community a better place to live, then we plead guilty. We are disappointed that Cllr Morris appears to think that our community should just accept the cuts happening in our area, and not question the decisions that the Council are making. We have the right and the duty to protect our community.
We met Cllr Morris earlier this year to discuss our concerns about the Government’s welfare reforms after our letters to David Cameron went unanswered. During the meeting, we explained that we were trying to make our community a better place to live. We thought, as our Cllr, she understood this.
We would like to remind Cllr Morris that freedom of speech is a human right which people in this community are entitled to regardless of race, nationality, sexuality or social class.
Yours sincerely
Sara Martin
On behalf of Muirhouse Women’s Group