Letter of the Week

Have strong opinions, write in an engaging way? You could win our Letter of the Week, and with it a book from our friends and sponsors, the publishers HarperCollins. This month’s book prize is The Woman in the Window by AJ Finn. It debuted at No 1 on the NYT best seller list in the US and is a gripping psychological thriller about an agoraphobic woman who believes she has witnessed a horrible crime in a neighbouring house.

Rules: Best letter competition runs till January 19 next year. Entries close each Thursday at 5pm. The winner is selected by 2pm each Friday. Book of the month valued up to $49.00. Entrants agree to the Competition Terms and Conditions located at www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/

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I HAVE been watching the Black Swan Lake story with much interest and the people pushing the negative agenda sure do have some energy and creative angles they are trying to run on.

I have had a long affiliation in racing and know the racing precinct on the Gold Coast well and some of the outlandish things being reported are simply not accurate.

I imagine the activists running this campaign have had the water quality tested on many occasions as reported in your paper. Simply ask them to send in the reports for you to put in print? Not the one-off, hand-picked samples but 12 months of them. While we are at it get the Gold Coast City Council to do the same as I would imagine they have the same data ?

And for the conspiracy theorists out there that do not believe the data supplied simply wait a few days next week when these high temperatures hit and go for a walk over there and you will see the water go green before your eyes.

An algae bloom hits a few times every year, ask anyone who lives there, and the reason it does is because it is an excavated hole (borrow pit) and water stagnates when sitting still, not a lake where water runs freely.

This fact has been lost in the whole debate because of agendas being run.

The GCCC and Gold Coast Turf Club will run one argument and the activists another but for people with commonsense who know and live in the area, filling it in is the right decision. LARRY, GOLD COAST

IN the ’70s when I started driving I was fortunate to be involved with a rally car club.

Over many years I learnt driving skills that taught me how to control a motor car in all conditions. I have travelled this great land for over 40 years and have always loved driving.

I have witnessed diabolical driving that makes me question how people get a license.

Maybe that’s the point – government transport agencies allow any kind of human to get a licence but that licence should include skill tests such as the Advanced Driver Courses .

The emphasis on road rules and the policing of such does nothing to improve the skills and ability of normal people to actually control a vehicle in any situation.

Penalties for being “a naughty person” will definately not improve your driving skills. Following the road rules does not make you a good driver – attitude and skill makes you a good driver.

I realise that technology will replace human driving skills eventually so driving will have no passion, but in the meantime, for those who enjoy driving, throttle on, and for the res, hand in your worthless licence, save us all the trauma and take the bus. NIGEL TICE , PALM BEACH

I AM a proud Games Shaper (volunteer) and Queen’s Baton Carrier for our Commonwealth Games.

People banging on about volunteers having to use political correct language have never read our workbooks or been to our training sessions.

Yes, we are encouraged to use the traditional Yugambeh greeting jingeri, but it is not compulsory. We can say hello, welcome and even g’day.

In all our interactions with attendees, competitors, officials etc, we are asked to be respectful, courteous and friendly: as we should be in everyday life. If we are unsure of how to address people, particularly dignitaries, it is okay to say sir or ma’am.

I look forward to giving cheery greetings to heaps of bonza people from across the globe. IAN MCDOUGALL, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT VOLUNTEER

THE removal of sex and height from drivers’ licences is another example of political correctness gone mad to suit a small minority. It’s absurd that an identification document no longer contains the physical description of the holder. Will passports be their next target?

There are also many instances of Christmas festivities and carols being banned in schools for fear of offending some religions.

We live in a democracy, and the views of the majority must prevail. I don’t agree with same-sex marriage. I believe marriage was developed by societies over the millennia for the orderly propagation of our species. However apparently I am in the minority, so I must accept the change.

Similarly other minorities must accept the view of the majority. If they don’t like it, go elsewhere. There’s also no place for whoever made this appalling licence decision. IAN, MERMAID BEACH