In Hook’s defence

I don’t think it was fair to suspend George Hook from Newstalk. Free speech is important.

People are entitled to their opinion once they are not advocating violence or using hate speech. He was only implying that women have to be careful.

We live in a nasty world full of crime. Both men and women have to be careful and do everything possible to protect themselves from all kinds of crime.

So I think this attack on George Hook is cruel and unfair. It would be better to attack the justice system for giving out far too lenient sentences for serious crimes.

Maureen Lowndes, Geashill, Co. Offaly.

…THE creation of the thought police in the media and in parts of society is alive and well.

The uproar over George Hook’s statement on Newstalk and Kevin Myers’ article, is just the tip of the iceberg. All these individuals were just expressing an opinion, which they were entitled to do.

Political correctness has taken control and free speech is the ultimate victim. It now seems that we are creating mental eunuchs who can be manipulated and will conform to blandness in debate and argument, and have no opinion of their own.

Is this the society that we want to cultivate, where only what is agreeable to our eyes and ears is acceptable? We are setting a dangerous precedent.

Liam Ó Conaire, Bruff, Co. Limerick.