tony delahoy – Page 13 – The NEN

Letter: Normandy and the lessons learned

Dear Editor

So many important anniversaries occur in 2014, being recalled with differing emotions. As a Normandy veteran I hope the following words will contribute to a peaceful world …

To remember and celebrate is not to glorify militarism but to show the united will of people for a peaceful world.

It is so important that the events of the 1930s and 1940s are told to each generation so they can avoid the mistakes made during that period: the mistake of tolerating discrimination, the mistake of letting vested interests ignore the aspiration of Fascism to expand their domination over all, leading to World War.

It was the ordinary people of all lands who finally defeated evil: it is the ordinary people of all lands, armed with the knowledge of the past, that will safeguard our futures.

A. Delahoy

Silverknowes Gardens

Letters: Word Play

Dear Editor

Most people now believe – with justification – that privatisation is a backward step, where provision of services in most cases comes second to making profits, yet the government and some local authorities are still selling off services.

They are aware that the word ‘privatisation’ is a ‘no-no’ so the term now used is ‘out-sourcing’: the outcome and results are exactly the same.

Another word being used to confuse people, in relation to protecting land from developers, is ‘safeguarding’; it should mean exactly that but to the confusers it means reserving the land for future development.

Confused? Taken in? That’s the whole point!

Very many examples of word play can be found; they can and do have serious consequences.

A. Delahoy

Silverknowes Gardens

Letter: Protecting our Parents – who cares?

Dear Editor

Part two of the BBC programme Protecting our Parents, shown on 24 April, revealed the inadequacy of all-round care provision for the elderly.

All staff shown were indeed caring but handicapped by having to work within existing rules and funding constraints.

A disturbing feature was the ‘test’ by a psychologist to determine the patients’ capacity to make decisions (in other words removing decision-making from them) with questions such as: ‘what day is it?’; I would imagine most people after being in hospital for weeks would hesitate before answering. There were of course other similar questions, and on their answers a decision is made on the patients capacity of doing so, with all that it implies.

The ‘test’ came across as inadequate and faulty, needing radical appraisal.

The second part of of the programme reinforced the first – that provision of care in all forms, from rapidly building NHS Hospitals for the elderly run by fully qualified staff, that care at home visiting time should be greatly expanded – if necessary to 24 hour caring operated by fully qualified staff.

This can be at least a start in showing we do care about protecting our parents.

A. Delahoy

Silverknowes Gardens

Letters: protecting our parents

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

Letter: Need before greed

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

PEP: Twenty five not out

PEP volunteer Tony Delahoy highlights a local community organisation which marks an important milestone this year:

Nationally, this year many important dates and events will be recalled with mixed emotions – they should not be passed over in silence. Locally in North Edinburgh, an important milestone was reached in February.

Pilton Equalities Project (PEP) will have been providing many services for older and other vulnerable adults for 25 years, encouraging independence and reducing isolation.

Over 180 people take part weekly in PEP’s activities: most are transported to and from their homes by PEP’s minibuses. The buses are fully accessible for wheelchair users and are staffed by drivers and escort volunteers.

PEP work is supported by some funding from the City of Edinburgh Council, to whom grateful thanks are expressed by all involved with PEP.

The following activities are on offer:

Five Day Care Clubs with places for 100 people, with entertainment and classes arranged,
Arts and Crafts,
Computer Instruction and Internet,
Lifelong Learning, Literacy and Numeracy,
Exercise,
Cooking,
Entertainment and Outings,
Shopping trips twice weekly to various locations,
Neighbourhood Group four days a week (mental health support),
Weekend Resource Centre (for aged fifty-plus isolated people),
Learning difficulty class.

During the summer PEP runs a programme of outings to places of interest outside Edinburgh, and PEP also offers a gardening and handyman service.

As you may imagine many volunteers are need to keep things going: last year over 7500 hours were volunteered! PEP’s services for the people of North Edinburgh are invaluable – at present we have 900 people on our database; without volunteers and funding, services would be denied them.

The name Pilton Equalities Project does not mean that services are restricted to Pilton itself – the actual areas covered takes in Granton, Royston Wardieburn, Trinity, Leith, Drylaw, Muirhouse and Silverknowes.

Our address is:

Pilton Equalities Project

PEP Centre

3 West Pilton Park

Edinburgh EH4 4EL

Telephone 0131 315 4466

Fax 0131 332 4817

Email: pepequalities@btconnect.com

Website: www.pepequalities.co.uk

An event to celebrate our 25 years of service to the people of North Edinburgh will be held in July in Edinburgh College Granton Campus – details will be published as soon as they are confirmed.

Tony Delahoy

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