Rein in the ‘behaviourally challenged’ brigade

My sincere sympathy goes to the player so badly insulted at the rugby final on Saturday. Racist behaviour is yet another consequence of the “I’ve got my rights and tough about you” attitude that stems from some people’s general sense of entitlement and no awareness of boundaries. As these types are unable to self-regulate their behaviour within the bounds of common decency, the rest of us are left to deal with the fallout.

I’d just love to know how crates of beer and a bottle of spirits got into the ground when my bag gets searched at the stadium before each game.

None of my experiences come close to those of Mr Aca and his family, but I have cringed at the rugby at the use of the F-word and homophobic comments. Security personnel were nearby and did nothing.

I have had loud and drunken patrons in the rows behind me at Horncastle Arena (twice) with security staff well within sight and hearing, a family mistaking the same venue for their lounge and talking loudly and passing food across my line of sight, and people at a concert in the Isaac Theatre Royal who chose to stand down the side aisle and chat during the Joan Armatrading concert, just along from staff. It was left to patrons to tell the talkers to keep quiet.

The Melbourne Cricket Ground displays a text number to use to report anti-social behaviour. It’s time venues here introduced the same concept. The antisocial, “behaviourally challenged” brigade needs to be reined in. BARBARA PURVIS

Harewood

Double standard

The cretins who abused the Fijian player last Saturday are racists. Jim Howell (July 29) then attempts to link this to a double standard by the Rugby Union in naming our local team The Crusaders.

I thought the Crusades were in direct response to the largely Christian and Jewish lands being conquered by Muslim armies. If this response to the annihilation of these peoples and the naming of a modern rugby team, is still, “incendiary to millions of Muslims”, tough. This is another example of the perpetrators of violence manipulating the facts so that they are portrayed as the victims. People like Jim, who seem to not understand history and who are confused between race and religion, give support to this nonsense.

To state that the Crusaders and not the conquering Muslim armies are a “jihadist fanatical movement” beggars belief. The Rugby Union do not have a double standard, Jim does. PAUL GRAINGER

Merivale

Thanks for stirring

Thanks for stirring Vicki Anderson (July 29) If there's been one good outcome of the exhibition of that offensive T-shirt, it's that now Dani Filth has his eyes on Christchurch for a defying presentation of his awesome band. EDUARDO BERNARDI

Middleton