Letters - April 25, 2016

As Steve explained, spitting was frowned upon due to the outbreak of the great flu pandemic in 1918, and I wonder why and how this disgusting habit has managed to creep back into our society, including the even more disgusting habit of some emptying the contents of their noses onto the street.

I was waiting by my local bus stop one morning when a guy was literally coughing his guts up waiting for the bus, followed by the ball of saliva and proceeded with the nose emptying, by which time I was almost across the other side of the road out of harms reach muttering in my head all the unprintable names I could think of to call him.

So what is it? Have they never heard of disposable tissues or is this not manly enough?

It was only a couple of weeks ago I experienced a young woman (certainly not a ‘lady’) that spat in the street and I was more appalled by this than a bloke doing it.

Those of us with a bit more pride in ourselves only look away in disgust and complete contempt hoping we are well away from a down draft effect on a windy day, wondering if one day we’ll have to start walking on stilts!

Clifford Chambers

via email

EMPLOYMENT

We need strong unions these days

Workers Memorial Day is held every year on April 28.

All over the world, working people and their representatives conduct events, demonstrations, vigils and hosts of other activities to mark the day.

It is also intended to serve as a rallying cry to “remember the dead ,but fight for the living”.

This year, the theme for the day is strong laws/strong enforcement/strong unions.Across the world we are seeing growing attacks on health and safety protection, including in Britain, where the Government has removed protection from millions of self employed workers and in Europe where the European Commission are pursuing a dangerous de- regulatory strategy.

However,strong laws are not enough if no body enforces them. We need proper inspections and enforcement action against those who break the law. Here in the UK, the number of inspections has fallen dramatically in the past five years. We all need strong unions, unionised workplaces are safer.

The Government is trying to force a The Trades Union Bill through Parliament, ignoring objections from all sides of the House. Once again it has taken peers in the Lords to hold them back. This Government needs to think again and withdraw this damaging and divisive bill.

Royston Jones

Anchorsholme

EDUCATION

I’m backing mum in holiday fine fight

Regarding your article on the fine levied on a mother for keeping her child out of school to conincide with another child’s school holidays (Gazette, April 21).

I am behind the mum, Michelle Smith, she does right to not pay the fine.

If her child missed two or three weeks, yes I would be against her, but in this instance one week is just not right.

She has been good keeping her child in attendance, one off should not be against the law, especially when she notified the school. I am fully behind her.

Frank Johnson

Harrowside

South Shore

ENVIRONMENT

What to do with an army of DNA testers?

There is one flaw in Brian Crawford’s take on solving the problem of dog faeces on our streets and parks and shoes (Your Say, Gazette, April 22).

When there is no more dogmess to be found anywhere, what do you do with all these people that have been employed in carrying out collection and testing and detecting the owners? They would be redundant surely.

Of course, once there were no more collectors and testers and detectors the dogmess would start to appear again!

Ever thus.

Keith Hallam

York Avenue

Cleveleys

POLITICS

Labour is heading to a very dark place

The Labour Party is changing, in my opinion for the worse.

In the past, the party held strong democratic socialist views based on reasoned debate, allowing differing views to be expressed within the party.

Since the arrival of the hard left leadership and his cohorts, intimidation has 
become the norm.

Not only do the hard left intimidate their political enemies, but also their so-called enemies within the party. “If you are not with us, you are against us” is their battle cry.

Jeremy Corbyn, the party leader, has been reported as considering the terrorist groups Hamas and Hezbollah to be his friends, his shadow chancellor said the IRA should be honoured for their “armed struggle” and, with the growth of anti-Semitic views within the party, it could well drift into a very dark place, and we all know what type of politics that leads to.

Not what the founding fathers of the party envisaged for its future.

Bernard Darbyshire

via email