Beachd Ailein
With reference to the piece by Joanne Matheson, also the letters from John Hutchison and Ian Sykes, in last week’s Lochaber Times I entirely agree, the present system of local government – the Highland Council – is not working for Lochaber.
I hope and believe a West Highland Council will be achieved in the near future. Not only is Lochaber not doing well out of local government, but you’ve also got to question Scottish and UK central Government. There seems to be an exclusion zone of spending in the area; revenue is raised in Lochaber but not spent in Lochaber.
The only thing that flows freely out of the area is the tax money. Look at our road and rail infrastructure, hospital provision and telecommunication network. Where’s our share of Ministry of Defence spending, BBC spending, administration spending - tax offices, contact centres? When was the last major infrastructure project in the West Highlands? Possibly the Road to the Isles upgrade 15 years ago or was it the Skye Bridge that they wanted us to pay twice for? The Scottish elections are in May next year. Every voter in Lochaber has to bear in mind the progress made on our new hospital or improvements to the disgraceful death trap that is the A82.
Stuart Murray, Glenachulish.
The Scottish Conservatives portray themselves as principled defenders of free speech with regard to the SNP’s Hate Crime Bill, while the UK Conservatives preside over fairly similar existing laws in England and Wales.
Freedom of expression is under attack throughout the UK, but the Conservatives only seem bothered when it presents an opportunity to attack the SNP. Their position of supporting the concept of hate crime while opposing hate speech legislation is unsustainable as one logically entails the other. Consider an example. A man punches a Hindu woman after Tweeting that he hates Hindus. He is sentenced to two months in prison for the assault and another one month because it was motivated by religious hatred. However, the punishment for assault already includes the fact a motivation was present, so the additional punishment was therefore just for hating Hindus.
So, what about the man who Tweets that he editor@obantimes.co.uk
Bha mi ga chur air mhanadh dha! Tha iomadh bliadhna bho nach do chleachd mi an abairt seo, ach nam òige nuair a chluinninn mo phàrantan is inbhich eile ga chantainn bhithinn ga mheas car iargalta leis gun robh manadh a’ ciallachadh taibhse, agus bhithinn a’ faireachadh gun robh rudeigin eagalach mu bhith cur dad air mhanadh do neach sam bith. Ach ’s e fìrinn na cùise gum bheil sinn uile gu ìre air choreigin a’ fàidheadaireachd gach latha, dhuinn fhìn agus do dhaoine eile, agus gun teagamh ’s e gliocas a th’ ann a bhith a’ coimhead romhad ged nach eil làn-smachd gu bhith agad gu siorraidh air a h-uile nì a bhios an dàn dhut.
Ged a bha a’ mhòr-chuid againn air fàs gu math sgìth den ghlasadh a bh’ oirnn ri linn a’ chorona-bhìorais saoilidh mi gum bheil uabhas dhaoine gu math gealtach a thaobh iomairt a-mach bho chaidh cùisean fhuasgladh. Tha deagh adhbhar faicill againn is uimhir gu follaiseach a’ seachnadh nan riaghailtean astair bho chèile, agus fiù ’s brat-gnùise de sheòrsa sam bith, far am bheil mòran eile cruinn. ’S dòcha gun robh cùisean riamh mar sin ach gu cinnteach tha mòran ann a tha den bheachd gur ann dha càch a tha laghan agus riaghailtean, agus gum faod iadsan dèanamh mar a thogras iad! Eadar gach dùbhlan a tha an lùib sin, agus cead aig daoine coinneachadh ann an taighean-òsta is bìdh, agus sgoiltean is colaistean a’ fosgladh às ùr, cha b’ iongnadh ged
hates Hindus but doesn’t punch one? Surely the principle has been conceded that this is deserving of a month’s imprisonment? That’s why calls for hate speech laws inevitably follow in nations with hate crime legislation. So, Scottish Conservatives, purported guardians of free speech, here’s a question for you. When I stated my disapproval of same sex parenting and opined that children need a mum and a dad, ideally, Police Scotland recorded it as a Hate Incident and sent a Hate Concern Form to my employer that named me as the ‘perpetrator’. Any comment? No? I thought not.
The Scottish Conservatives don’t support freedom of speech, they just want to score a few political points.
Richard Lucas, Leader of The Scottish Family Party, 272 Bath Street, Glasgow. a bhithte a’ cur air mhanadh dhan dùthaich gun dùisgeadh an galair mallaichte seo a-rithist. Gu mì-fhortanach bha an droch amharas sin ceart agus tha sinn a’ faicinn Covid 19 ag ath-bheothachadh feadh na dùthcha ged nach eil, fhathast co-dhiù, uimhir de dhaoine fo chùram ospadail agus bidh sinn beò an dòchas gur ann mar sin a leanas.
Le cinnt cha robh neach sam bith air na thachair air an dàrna latha fichead den Chèitean 2017 aig consairt an t-seinneadair Ameireaganach Ariana Grande ann am Manchester a chur air mhanadh dha na truaghain a chailleadh, agus an fheadhainn a chaidh an leòn, ri linn ionnsaigh ceannairce. Dà dhuine fichead marbh agus còrr air ochd ceud, le clann òga nam measg, air an goirteachadh ann an spreadhadh oillteil fo làimh dhithis bhràithrean a bha deònach fèin-mharbhadh agus murt a dhèanamh gus an cuid creideamh fhoillseachadh. Mo cho-fhaireachadh dhùrachdach dha na teaghlaichean uile a dh’fhuiling ann am Manchester, agus anns gach àite eile.
The 2017 Manchester bombing inquiry inevitably renews suffering over losses and injuries for so many families, but what a moving and beautiful tribute by one mother to her teenage daughter who was among those lost in the carnage. ‘She would have been the best at whatever she did – whether a housewife or an astronaut.’
It will be a sad day on December 31 when Scotland is dragged out of the EU against our will. With Brexit, we are expected by the Westminster Government to accept lower food standards from America. We have for some years now appreciated the high standards of food hygiene and good quality from the EU. With Brexit looming the Westminster Government wants us to accept lower food standards.
This is not at all suitable for children or people suffering from ill health. Children and the sick require good quality food as does the population as a whole. We had no reason to leave the EU. Scotland needs independence and to return to the EU as soon as possible.
Susan Swain.