Tag: letters

Letters: protecting our parents

carer

Dear Editor

The first part of the BBC programme Protecting our Parents, screened on 17 April, was very moving, highlighting situations of caring that could face the parents of anyone.

Parents are individuals with thoughts, feelings and wishes: in short they are human beings in vulnerable situations.

As illustrated in the programme gentle but subtle pressure is put on patients to decide on moving to a care or nursing home, or returning to their homes with a ‘care package’ arranged by the local authority. The first option could involve considerable financial cots, the second totally inadequate visiting time and care.

We are constantly being told the numbers of elderly people will increase over the years and the country will not be able to afford the care; the implication being that even the inadequate level of care given today cannot be maintained.

How dare they approach the situation from that point of view; they must be oblivious of the mental and physical suffering caused through inadequate care?

Care of the elderly – having given a lifetime of service and care of children yet to serve the future – are and must be absolute priorities for the nation.

A. Delahoy

Silverknowes Gardens

 

 

 

Government bingo!

Dear Editor

I thought George Osborne would be interested in my extended playing of Bingo, with the caller’s comments:

By itself, number 1 … Tory philosophy

By itself, number 4 … Out the door – bedroom tax

By itself, number 5 … Wasted years

By itself, number 8 … show them the gate!

Number 10 … Cameron’s Den – not for long!

Legs, 11 … Osborne will need them!

Unlucky for some, 13 …. for about sixty million!

Blind, 20 … Cabinet profile

Two little ducks, 22 … Quack, quack, Jeremy!

Three and one, 31 … we’ve been done!

Blind, 40 … plus Ali Baba

Five and seven, 57 … Tory heaven

The Brighton Line, five and nine, 59 … Let’s call time!

Clickety click, 66 … Any new tricks?

Any way up, six and nine, 69 … mine, mine, mine!

HOUSE!

Prize – a lemon! Game over.

 

A. Delahoy

Silverknowes Gardens

bingo

 

 

 

 

 

 

Letter: Need before greed

letter (2)

Dear Editor

Particularly during and since the Thatcher times people have been encouraged to think only of themselves. It has the divisive effect – which was it’s intention – of tearing people away from their natural instinct of caring for others. The evidence that the policy of looking after number one is the wrong thing to do is all around us, those with the most wealth have the most power.

A divided people are easier to manipulate: those in work against the unemployed who have to exist on benefits, the disgusting campaign against the disabled living on benefits, pitting those who work in the private sector against those in the public sector, the disgraceful ‘bedroom tax’ action taken against tenants and the continuing privatisation of public property …

The situation is not unique to this country; exactly the same is happening in many parts of the world, demonstrating that the capitalist system under which we live cannot solve their problems. What can we do? We can make a start to change things by identifying essential needs everyone has in common, to maximise unity; these essential common needs will show that no individual or groups of individuals should have the power to restrict or withhold them in the pursuit of profit. The following is a most obvious list of common needs upon which that unity can be achieved and removing them from those who only see those needs as a source of private profit:

  • Heating and power: this basic necessity should be treated as such, not as a source of private profit
  • Water & sewerage services: As above, absolute health essential
  • Transport: Essential public service to enable easy access to and from work and social activities
  • National Health Service: To ensure treatment is a permanent public universal service paid for out of taxation.
  • Recreation and Learning facilities of all kinds: Work is not an end in itself but a means of developing an intelligent quality of living in whatever choice of interest.
  • Greenbelt and Open Spaces: Selling these off to developers to be stopped immediately and lawful public consultation on any building applications.

A. Delahoy

Silverknowes Gardens 

 

Letter: Attacks on quality of life must be resisted

Dear Editor

In the past, many things were struggled for to enhance the quality of life. National Parks, Green Belts, local parks, sports fields, libraries, museums, rights of way, etc, etc.

Recent times have seen all of the things mentioned above – and more – threatened, closed, built on, sold to developers. Added to that, laws are shamefully being passed enabling this to continue.

Very many thousands of people are worried and are resisting, despite their incomes and employment being under pressure, and it is vital that this resistance is greatly increased.

Local ideas and schemes must be pursued and developed and local authorities must assist their communities in enhancing the quality of life now and for the future.

A. Delahoy

Silverknowes Gardens

VictoriaPark

 

Letter: Basic needs

Dear Editor

To express thoughts in words is sometimes difficult; hopefully the following is clear enough.

There are many needs common to everyone in the UK: amongst them are the NHS, gas and electricity, water, transport, schools and employment, they are basic needs. In Scotland only the NHS, schools and water can be classed as universal services; even these are faced with attempts to privatize them.

Gas and electricity supplies are absolutely basic for life, yet these industries are in private hands, operating for private profit. There is no way individuals or groups of individuals should control such basic needs.

Most people have to use public transport; buses, railways and trams to get to and from work – again, a basic necessity that should not be run for private profit.

Loss of employment is devastating for individuals and families, long-term unemployment leads to depression and loss of dignity.

A creator of unemployment is the withdrawal of investment by groups of individuals – and banks – moving their money from one place to another, home or abroad, to maximise profit. Again, this is not right and must be changed.

The services outlined above need to be in public hands, a view on which I believe most people would agree. There are so many areas of life common to all on which a unity of thought and action can make them universal services.

Pitting one section of the population’s interests against another must be resisted at all times.

A. Delahoy

Silverknowes Gardens 

 

 

 

Letter: People, not commodities

Dear Editor

Despite the massive potential wealth of the UK, around two million people are unemployed, causing great hardship, depression and a loss of dignity. If people are willing to work, and the materials needed are available, what then is the problem and what can be done about it?

We live under a system of capitalism whose main concern is to make profit: if it cannot, in any industry or enterprise, the owners of wealth will not invest, switching their money to where it can, irrespective of any damage or hardship caused in doing so. This cannot be right; it only appeals to the greedy and selfish and the events of the last few years have shown just how much damage has been inflicted on people.

Investors, then, have considerable power; supported by people in powerful decision-making positions, protecting the existing set up.

If switching of investment purely for profit is the creator of unemployment, then this activity must be changed. An initial steps could be to put a limit in place on the rate of interest on an investment, coupled with a minimum term of investment to prevent money being pulled out and putting an industry and employees at risk.

This immoral position of holding the threat of unemployment over people purely for private gain is long overdue for changing – people are not commodities to be used and discarded.

A. Delahoy

Silverknowes Gardens

 

Letter: Trick or treat?

Dear Editor

The announcement by Cameron that pensioners’ incomes will be protected from inflation for the “life of the next Parliament” sounds okay, you may think, but then what?

There is no doubt that other ‘benefits’ as he says, will be cut; from whom? The younger working people struggling now to make ends meet or perhaps the pensioners bus pass or winter fuel allowance?

The typical playing off one section of people against another is being demonstrated by the false highlighting of ‘affluent’ pensioners living it up (they even play bowls or are dancing!)

The question then arises what level is considered affluent and who sets that level. Having experienced over the last four years their idea of ‘level’, we can guess.

Pensioners and people at work must not be taken in by these attempts to get them to blame each other. Pensioners are mums and dads, workers are sons and daughters. Unity is Strength.
Tony Delahoy (by email)

Letter: say ‘no’ to pig factory farm

Dear Editor

It has taken many years of public pressure to get improved conditions for factory-farmed chickens, even after their horrendous treatment was exposed.

The vast majority of people who agree all animals should be treated with care will be horrified to learn of a proposal being put to Derbyshire County Council by Midland Pig Producers for permission to build a vast pig factory to confine 25,000 pigs until ready for slaughter. It is well known that pigs are highly intelligent outdoor animals and they would seriously suffer being confined, whatever conditions apply.

This way of treating animals must be resisted and stopped. Please write, email or fax Derbyshire County Council asking them to reject the application.

A. Delahoy

Silverknowes Gardens 

Letter: Horror Picture

Dear Editor
I am writing to express my horror at the sale of the Picture House to Wetherspoons. This iconic venue for live music is potentially to be replaced by yet another place to eat and drink.  This city needs to rebalance its priorities – particularly for young people.
We wonder why some young people are so disconnected and cynical when they are not consulted about things that matter to them? I recognise that this is a private transaction however I have written to the council asking some questions about this situation and what can be done via planning, etc.
The good news is that young people are not sitting back. They have set up a petition. Link attached – see below
As a recently elected Community Councillor for Granton & District  I am delighted to be associated with this and hope through NEN this issue will be published and supported.
Dave Macnab
Granton & District Community Councillor
The Picture House

Letter: Socialist solution to self-interest

Dear Editor

We are living in a capitalist society where most places of work are privately owned, in which the first priority is to maximise profit. The owners are also free to close down places of work if they feels profits are not enough, regardless of the effect on the workers and their families.

By it’s very nature the capitalist system is based on the owners’ self-interest, whether dealing with national workforces or international workforces.

Modern technology and knowhow is now able to solve the scourge of starvation, poverty and ill-health worldwide, but owners of industries are not willing to set aside their self-interest.

The capitalist system has amassed unbelievable wealth but in the UK cannot or will not solve the problems of jobs, housing, pensions, health, care of the elderly, education and social services. They cannot or will not treat the preventable diseases that kill millions of children worldwide for the sake of the few pence per head needed to do so.

In the knowledge of all this, the arrogance of language and policy used by political supporters in support of capitalism is breathtaking. Replacement of such a useless system is long overdue, being replaced by one working for the benefit of all – SOCIALISM.

A. Delahoy

Silverknowes Gardens