Writers remain a mystery

Dear Editor

I read the Letters page on January 17 with interest and some concern.

Three of the four letters you published had one thing in common, all were anonymous.

I had to laugh as they were headed“Not so much Banana as Secretive”,“’Sleekit’bin change”and“Puzzled by Change of Heart Motive”.

All were interesting letters worthy of detailed responses.

Are all the authors really afraid to disclose their identities in the belief we are already living in the‘secretive, one party parliamentary system’as one author describes?

What could possibly prompt such an accusation given the recent SNP court cases?

Any thought that Mr Alyn Smith MP will respond to an anonymous letter is I think naïve, why would he?

So may I ask via this letter for him to do so to answer the specific questions raised.

In conclusion may I suggest that you make it clear that you will not publish letters that are anonymous. This to my mind will prevent the possibility that we might be becoming increasingly afraid to make our views known, which of course might be welcome news to many of our politicians and local decision makers.

Whatever next?

Maurice Fitzgibbon

Stirling

■Editor’s note: Letter writers often ask for their details not be published and do so for a variety of reasons. The Stirling Observer doesn’t print letters which come to us with“Name and Address Supplied”or by anonymous email. We always ask for bona fide names and addresses so we know they are genuine.