Today’s letter writers debate Scottish football, climate change, Jesus, the state of Britain, self-reliance, and the House of Lords.
Don’t take giant-slaying thrill out of football
Sir,-As a football fan of too many years, I am afraid I have to disagree with your columnist Jim Leishman’s suggestion that the early stages of the League Cup should take the form of a league competition.
This was tried a long time ago and resulted in a considerable number of meaningless matches where the section was already won.
The present formula of one game played to a finish has resulted in a high proportion of exciting matches and allows the smaller teams for example, my other team of Forfar to spring the very occasional surprise result.
On another topic, Jim Jefferies’ idea of a football championship being decided by a play-off, while beneficial to teams like Hearts, is hopefully a non-starter, as the destination of any league title should be decided over a complete season of competition and not an end-of-season lottery of two or three games.
John Crichton.6 Northampton Place, Forfar.
Irrelevant renewable
Sir,-James Christie (December 22) makes many unsubstantiated and misinformed claims relating to the impact of climate change in his attempt to refute earlier claims by Clark Cross but he does make one true statement, namely, when he refers to wind energy, he states “its effectiveness is irrelevant to climate science.”
(Dr) G. M. Lindsay.Whinfield Gardens,Kinross.
Shadow over history
Sir,-So the Bible answers profound questions, and Jesus was a great moral leader, according to your correspondent Dr Bert Cargill, of St Monans.
The “answers” it provides to matters of life, origins, duty and so forth are absurd 6000 years ago an invisible sky daddy created everything.
Then a rib woman was persuaded by a talking snake to eat fruit from a magic tree and we are to blame for original sin.
Dr Cargill finds this convincing and satisfactory.
As for Christ, any objective reading of the gospels reveals Dr Cargill’s “best friend” to be a religious fanatic intolerant of criticism, prudish in sexual matters and who will burn you for eternity if you don’t accept him.
Dr Cargill is right about one thing though.
Jesus has indeed had a lasting effect on history, judging by the amount of blood his followers have spilled in his name.
(Dr) Stephen Moreton.33 Marina Avenue,Great Sankey,Warrington.
Volcanic aftermath
Sir,-Dr Andrew Gunn, of Letham, suggests that the decision to sue BP as a result of the Gulf oil spill is an example of anti-British policy by President Barack Obama’s US Administration.
If he were to check his facts, he would realise that this legal action is the only course the US Administration can take in terms of the United States 1990 Oil Pollution Act.
This legislation limits oil company liabilities to private parties to $75 million, while still retaining oil companies’ full liability for the whole cost of the clean-up to the federal and state governments.
I would suggest to Dr Gunn and others of a like mind that the real underlying cause of our present problems is not the US administration but the gross incompetence and complacency on the part of our own people over the last 40 years, by which the whole nation has become “sub-prime.”
For an example of this, take the present adverse weather and the resulting chaos, which is claimed to be unpredictable.
But, if you examine climate records over the last 200 years, you will notice that we have always had a severe winter after a volcanic eruption in Iceland.
Philip Roberts.Ascurry Mill,By Letham (Angus).
Time for self-reliance
Sir,-The jeweller in your story (December 22) who billed her council for clearing the footpath must have forgotten that, at one time, people did just that out of civic duty. Also, it used to be an offence for shops not to clear their front footpaths.
People have become so inward thinking that they expect councils to do everything for them.
Perhaps if the shopkeeper had cleared the path when the snow was fresh and soft it would not have taken so much salt and effort, instead of waiting until it had been well trodden and hard packed.
John Montgomery.24 March Crescent,Cellardyke.
Trim back peer power
Sir,-We will soon have another New Year Honours List where retired MPs, party contributors and pals of politicians are elevated to our upper chamber, the House of Lords.
It has set me wondering if the House of Lords was built by the same man who built the Tardis for Dr Who.
I have found that, as of last month, the number of peers is 738. But the seating capacity of the upper chamber is just 240.
Why do we need so many peers? If we are looking to save money in these austere times, why don’t we reduce the number to 240 and only appoint new ones in the event of death or expulsion?
Is this another case of everyone feeling the pain of recession equally but some more equally than others?
Iain McLaren.1 Clinkerheel Drive,Birkhill.
Get involved: to have your say on these or any other topics, email your letter to letters@thecourier.co.uk or send to Letters Editor, The Courier, 80 Kingsway East, Dundee DD4 8SL.