Letters - February 19, 2018

I would rather be writing about something cheerful or ground-breaking, but I’m writing once again on the subject of school shootings. My message about the shootings hasn’t changed but the death toll has.

The thoughts of people around the world will lie with the families affected by the latest tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. As the search for answers begins, the cause of violent behaviour will again go under the spotlight, along with the gun laws in the United States.

While there is never one simple explanation for what drives a human being to commit such unspeakable acts, all too often one common denominator has surfaced in hundreds of cases - prescribed psychiatric drugs, documented to cause mania, psychosis, violence, suicide and in some cases, homicidal ideation. It is vital that the general public are informed about the well-documented links between psychiatric drugs and violence.

At least 36 school shootings and or school-related acts of violence have been committed by those taking or withdrawing from psychiatric drugs resulting in 172 wounded and 80 killed. Another 17 is going to be added to that death toll.

School shootings are not the only mass killings tied to psychiatric drug use. There are 29 other acts of senseless violence committed by individuals taking or withdrawing from psychiatric drugs resulting in an additional 277 dead and 164 wounded.

The correlation between psychiatric drugs and acts of violence and homicide is well documented - both by international drug regulatory warnings and studies, as well as by hundreds of cases where high profile acts of violence and mass murder were committed by individuals under the influence of psychiatric drugs.

Despite 27 international drug regulatory warnings on psychiatric drugs, there has yet to be a federal investigation on the link between the drugs and acts of senseless violence.

With a school shooting every 60 hours, one newspaper has described the carnage as ‘the new normal’. In January, alone it was reported that there had been at least 11 shootings on school property in the US.

We cannot allow this to be the norm and we must not remain silent on this issue. The dangers of psychiatric drugs have been known for decades so, as responsible citizens, we have to continue to get this message out by whatever means so that the populace is informed and so that school shootings become history rather than headline news.

Brian Daniels

Citizens Commission on 
Human Rights (United Kingdom)

AIRPORT

We’ve got so much - but no airport!

We are getting new tram lines, a new conference centre, new hotels, new rides at the pleasure beach. There’s Lytham proms, Alfie boe, the firework displays, Strictly at the tower, Ladies’ golf championships, a free air show - and, wow, Britney Spears!

Just one thing missing.

Yes you’ve guessed it. No Blackpool International Airport.

What we want is a new departure lounge building ASAP and get the airport back to what it was when jet2 were operating 11 destinations before the beautiful departure lounge was knocked down. Shame on this council which allowed it to happen.

NAme and address supplied

BREXIT

Austerity will look like a golden age

I don’t know if anyone still pays any attention to anything that Boris Johnson says, but I hope not.

He has got to be the most vacuous windbag yet produced by the British political system, which is saying something.

His recent speech on Brexit was an example of the sort of empty rhetoric, issue dodging and water muddying that has become his trademark.

His trick this time was to describe a Europe that does not exist in order to justify his case for getting out. What he did not do was spell out what people really need to know. He needed to admit that there can be no talk of future trade agreements with other countries because this is ruled out by Article 218 of the Lisbon Treaty which Britain has signed up to. He needed to admit that if there is no deal with the EU there will be no transitional period which would mean a run on the pound, businesses quitting the UK and a sharp rise in unemployment.

The last thing that Johnson will ever admit, though, is that Brexit is for the few, not the many. For the very wealthy Brexit will be a wonderful thing. They will be able to operate in a country with even fewer obligations to employees and less tax to pay.

For ordinary working people it is becoming painfully obvious that Britain after Brexit is going to make the era of austerity look like a golden age.

John Prance

Via email

BREXIT

It’s good we’re all Tories isn’t it...

I look forward to the day we leave the EU.

That’s because the British are nostalgic people and soon we will fondly remember the days of mutuality between nations, investment in our poorer regions and human rights.

It was nice when you could appeal to the European Court of Justice when you suffered injustice from the state.

The workers’ rights and the good old days of statutory sickness and leave?

The EU never stripped our assets, instead it provided investment.

Once Brussels is out of the way, the new rulers will buy these assets, making us even more nostalgic.

Remember that business or land? They used to be British! Anyway, we’re all Tories aren’t we?

We know we are in good hands with them making decisions on our behalf.

After all, they are the “nostalgia” party by definition.

Danny 
Piermattei

Via email