Mental health, media, drugs and honours - here are the letters for June 13, 2019

Vital to give mentally ill people right help

I felt reading Sara Blaylock’s letter, Education will save lives, she has a good understanding of mental health problems (Your Say, June

7).

When one suffers a mental health problem, you get lots of strange feelings you cannot explain and end up being unable to cope with life.

Sometimes you can become very lonely.

Many years ago, I had a nervous breakdown.

I had a good doctor and got help from the local mental health service.

But I had to go into hospital voluntarily for treatment over a few months.

In our group, there was even a nun - people from all walks of life can suffer mental health problems.

After I came out of hospital and recuperated, I decided I had to pay something back for all the care and attention given to me by health professionals.

So 30 years later, I volunteered in the community.

Sometimes I was like a signpost, directing people to other agencies for help and support.

Sara Blaylock also wants to help people with mental health problems. I hope professionals will read up on her ideas and plans to help educate people. So many people are at risk if they do not get the right help and support.

NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED

MEDIA

BBC should stand on its own two feet

In a recently heavily skewed survey, the tyrants at the BBC sought and succeeded in punishing pensioners for voting Brexit by stripping away free TV for over 75s.

I sincerely hope the money-grubbers at the BBC enjoy their ill-gotten gains in the certain knowledge that one day soon there might be another more accurate survey calling for an end to the present compulsory TV tax, that archaic, antiquated throwback from the early days of radio and 2LO.

It is high time in my opinion the BBC stood on its own two feet and if that proves too hard the BBC should fold for good.

Watch out for the next heavily disguised BBC pensioner means test in which they demand an end to the present pensioner winter fuel allowance and anything else associated with the elderly that the troublemakers at the BBC don’t like.

J G Dawson

Address supplied

DRUGS

‘Hypocrite’ Gove should reflect

Conservative leadership contender and potential Prime Minister Michael Gove has admitted taking cocaine several times 20 years ago when a journalist.

He describes it as a mistake.

It is perhaps to his credit that he has admitted breaking the law several times back then and deeply regrets it.

It is wrong of him however to simply describe his Class A drug use as a mistake.

These were deliberate acts on a number of occasions.

The former Justice Secretary probably thought then that there was no harm in his actions but, as a journalist, he would have been well aware of the misery the cocaine supply caused at every level of the supply chain, from its source in Latin America to the streets of London.

Twenty years ago and, as we know so well today, drug trafficking was - and is - a major source of revenue for organised crime groups, all of whom were, and are, involved in wider serious crime involving firearms and modern day slavery.

Then and today there was, and is, a high level of hypocrisy by middle and upper class cocaine users who feel that it is fine for them to break the law, having no regard for the misery further down the supply lines, but who then comment about levels of crime in communities.

In Government, and if successful in his leadership bid, Mr Gove will perhaps reflect on his illegal activity and ensure that those tasked now with tackling organised crime linked to the supply of drugs are properly resourced, along with reviewing the effectiveness of the 48-year-old Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 to ensure it is ‘fit for purpose’ in 2019.

Geoff Ogden

via email

HONOURS

Boe’s award was

well deserved

What’s it all about, Alfie?

I am sure that Alfie Boe will receive many congratulations on being bestowed with a well deserved OBE. He has achieved so much in his career whist staying loyal to his local roots and bringing added fame to Fleetwood.

But surely this was always meant to be. For BOE, read OBE!

J Bailie

via email