Why caring for our country is a labour of love
The owners of Scotland’s estates and their staff (Letters) have a huge respect and love for the land and the care required to maintain it — a respect and love not felt by city dwellers.
The land is their master — highly demanding of the time, energy and investments put into keeping the estates viable. Without t his commitment from those who live and work on the land we would not have the quality of rural beauty that we have.
A recent television documentary on the isle of Gigha showed that the community-led heritage Trust which bought the island is now reportedly in debt to the tune of almost £3 million.
Another documentary on owners and workers on rural estates showed their dedication maintaining a high standard of care, borne out of a love for the land that gave them their way of life and their income.
On one estate the owner was dressed for outdoors wearing thighlevel boots and up to his knees in overgrowth of foliage and debris — to maintain the freedom of the water to run its course.
Without this dedication it would lead inevitably to broken up estates owing to the short-sightedness of the Scottish Government’s current forward planning. Scotland’s beauty would be scarred by badly kept housekeeping of rural Scotland.
I was born and bred into city life and grew up knowing little of rural life and the hard work of people living and working on rural estates, maintaining a quality of life that needs to be preserved for us all that also benefits those who live and work in cities. Scotland’s beauty not only contributes to the economy and employs thousands of people — they are the keepers of the soul of Scotland.
People travel from overseas to marvel at the vastness and depth of our rural countryside, be it the hills, glens or well-managed fields.
People who speak fondly of their Scottish roots should remember that Scotland’s rural areas have to be cared for. We should ask ourselves, who are these people who live and work hard to maintain our beautiful Scotland? It’s not us who live in cities but enjoy the fruits of the labour of those who do.
M. MacDONALD, Dundee.
Euthanasia is not selfish
MY DAUGHTER, Gaby Olthuis, a mother of two children, didn’t ‘selfishly’ decide to end her life as if it were a ‘lifestyle choice’ (Mail).
Contrary to the impression given, in the Netherlands permission for euthanasia isn’t gained in a couple of days: it takes months, during which the outcome is unsure.
It took my daughter nine months to get permission to end her life before she was allowed to die peacefully, surrounded by her loved ones. She had been suffering from tinnitus for more than 12 years. during the last years of her life, she heard sounds 24/7.
She had tried every treatment you can think of but nothing helped. She had stopped working and spent most of her time in bed, trying to cope with the sounds on her own. The fact that she wanted to die, despite having two adorable children ( who saw their mum suffering year in, year out) shows how severe her suffering was.
When my daughter decided she wanted to go down the path of euthanasia, s he guided her children in a way no one can copy, and in the end they were able to let her go.
I’m proud of my daughter and of my grandchildren, and I’m glad I live in the Netherlands, where people who suffer as severely as my daughter are permitted to die in a dignified way.
JOAN van BAARLE, the Netherlands.
Undeterred
FOR the premeditated theft of her daughter’s £20,000 wedding savings (Mail) l hardly imagine the lenient sentence of 12 months’ jail suspended for two years, 150 hours unpaid community service and an order to repay her daughter a mere £100 will deter others.
Our courts need to get much tougher. I doubt the wronged daughter will think justice has been done.
MAUREEN BENNIE, Livingston, West Lothian.
The work of evil
WHATEVER the cause of the attackers who killed so many people in Paris, nothing justifies the taking of a life, and we ask all communities for unity and calm.
Life is sacred, and this brutal attack must be condemned by all the people. The Islamic f aith doesn’t allow anyone to take the life of others. Such people are condemned in the holy Quran.
In this tragic, difficult time, our thoughts are with bereaved families, the people of Paris and the people of France. No religion justifies the indiscriminate killing of individuals in such a barbaric and heartless way, and such acts only serve to differentiate between the misguided and the just.
We call upon those that might have even a shred of sympathy for the like-minded terrorists to shake their conscience and realise that such acts are the work of evil and not the work of God-fearing people.
MUHAMMAD AFAZI, Birmingham Central Mosque.
Healthier outlook
I WAS perturbed by Sarah vine’s question: ‘If eating porridge is the key to a longer life, how come Glasgow has t he l owest life expectancy of anywhere in the uK?’ (Mail).
I live in the east end of Glasgow, I eat porridge every morning, I’m 69 and healthy. unfortunately, the majority of people in Glasgow (who live in the poorer areas with the lower life expectancy such as the east end) don’t eat porridge as not everyone likes it.
People need to be motivated to e at and live healthily, but unfortunately Glasgow City Council is stopping many exercise classes — even though the Commonwealth Games gave us an amazing buzz.
There are too many problems with drugs and alcohol — but who has the solution?
LILA McCRANOR, Glasgow.
Protecting justice
I DON’T mind being held to account for things I’ve done or proposed to do in my time in the political arena, but I like to see the facts correctly relayed. As Magna Carta celebrates its 800th birthday, dominic Sandbrook says Jack Straw and I ‘tried and failed to introduce trial by judge, not by jury’ (Mail).
In fact, as the record will show when the fi l es are opened, I intervened to drop proposals to curtail massively trial by jury — although, having undertaken jury duty myself, I appreciate there’s a great deal of reform required in the system.
Magna Carta was, of course, about the vested i nterests of barons while freedoms today must be about the rights of those without power and privilege. Rt. Hon DAVID BLUNKETT MP,
London SW1.
Loss of power
DAVID CAMERON is deluding himself if he feels he can bring about change while in the eu.
I don’t believe he will get backing from europe for all the concessions required to appease those British people fed up with the dictatorial attitude of europe and the freedom of movement for workers.
The only way to resolve this is an in/out referendum, and ukip is the best option for voters as it is the only party that will put British voters first in europe. We don’t need more talk, we need action.
Cameron has suggested that a referendum in 2016 was a possibility: why was this not announced last year when one was decided? We see here a man desperately trying to hang on to power.
GORDON KENNEDY, Perth.