Sir, – The letter from John Cameron (Forecasts aren’t always correct, Courier, May 9) hits the nail on the head.
We are in a situation where our “leaders”, be they political, economic or scientific, aided by our media, are infantilising society.
We do not need a continuation of authoritarianism in our country.
We are supposed to be grown-ups.
We do not need to be told every day what we can and cannot do.
It is already obvious here in north-east Fife that people are increasingly ignoring the advice of “experts” who seem unable to agree on a comprehensive plan based upon a realistic model, to get things re-started in the UK.
Scottish commonsense is a better alternative to the pronouncements we are seeing and reading every day.
The lockdown was enacted to prevent the NHS being over-run by a totally unknown number of potential Covid patients. That now seems unlikely.
So can we please return to reality and consider the disaster that awaits our population from the closedown of business and jobs that is the direct result of the pronouncements from our politicians and so-called experts.
Derek Farmer.
Knightsward Farm,
Anstruther.
Drop the holier than thou act
Sir, – The world was clearly ill-prepared for the extent and the behaviour of this hitherto unknown virus which has befallen us.
It has brought out the very best in us but also the very worst.
On the one hand we have witnessed the remarkable commitment, dedication, and courage of our NHS, together with care workers and other frontline staff, all of whose virtues should be extolled.
However on the other and darker side there have been cases of abuse towards, and even spitting in the faces of, those working tirelessly to provide a service, with some directing their spleen towards ambulance workers and the police.
We also have those who are ever on the lookout for whipping boys to castigate and blame, and indeed some of the media are hardly innocent in this.
Others profess to know exactly what should have been done and when to avert disasters, and others again are highly knowledgeable in hindsight.
Clearly this is not a time for bad behaviour, point scoring, and “holier than thou” attitudes and stances.
Instead we should support those trying to do their best and all pull together as a nation.
David L Thomson.
24 Laurence Park,
Kinglassie.
A cure worse than the disease
Sir, – Nicola Sturgeon proclaims she will not be “pressurised” into relaxing the lockdown rules in Scotland by whatever is decided in England.
But it is the first minister who ramped up that pressure with her pronouncements and publication of her blueprint for easing restrictions, which added little if anything to the five-points announced by the UK Government.
She tried to justify it by asserting the need for a “grown-up” conversation with the electorate.
But she clearly does not trust her electorate to be as grown-up as Westminster does, by refusing to endorse very limited relaxations.
No-one wants more cases and certainly not more deaths, but at some point soon, if we are not treated as mature adults capable of deciding ourselves to behave in socially-responsible ways, with our schools, industry, construction and commerce moving towards a “new normality” , then the cure will indeed become worse than the disease.
John Birkett.
12 Horseleys Park,
St Andrews.
Binoculars to stay alert
Sir, – The message from Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the only world leader to actually catch the virus, is “Stay Alert”.
A virus that over 100 million can fit on the point of a pin, perhaps the Tories are going to supply us all with high powered binoculars for the next phase of this lockdown.
Rod Selbie.
45 Silver Birch Drive,
Dundee.
Putting boot into cycle counters
Sir, – I was interested in the story about the inaccuracy of the cycle counter at Broughty Ferry (New Ferry cycle count will not be seen at site, Courier, May 12).
I had always been doubtful as to the veracity of the statistics produced by these machines, specifically by the one at Bells Sports Centre on the path round the North Inch.
My suspicion was confirmed when I watched two youngsters remove their trainers and batter the pavement in 10-second bursts to see which of them could make the counter go higher.
The council’s Sustainable Transport team must’ve been delighted with that day’s figures.
Percy Johnstone.
Crieff Road, Perth.
Cyclists need to be proficient
Sir, – Cycling is to be encouraged as a pollution free means of city transport in our post-Covid world, but cyclists should have a training course, pass an exam, pay road tax, and carry insurance. From what I have seen in the recent upsurge, many do not know that we drive on the left, traffic lights have a purpose, and the pavement is for pedestrians.
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