Sir, The SNP is pushing for 16-year-olds to get the vote in time for the referendum on independence.
They are gambling on the gullibility of our teenagers, judging they will be more likely to swallow the propaganda and vote for independence.
Their arguments for giving them the vote are spurious: they can marry at 16, they are more mature than previous generations of teenagers, they can join the armed services at 16 and they may pay taxes at 16.
Marry at 16? Girls as young as 11 become pregnant these days in increasing numbers, but that does not mean they know enough about politics to vote?
If teenagers choose to marry at 16 that is not necessarily a sign of mental maturity, simply that they are physically developed enough to do so.
Today’s teenagers more mature? Physically yes, but mentally and in character no! Many of them do not bear comparison in maturity with previous generations, most of whom had been holding down responsible jobs, paying their way and keeping themselves for two years by the age of 16!
My father was working on the land in Aberdeenshire and living independently of his parents before the age of 14! He did not get the vote until he was 21!
Joining the armed services as 16-year-olds does not usually mean teenagers will be on the front line involved in actual combat. They are normally based at training camps in the UK. As for paying taxes, 16-year-olds in jobs paying enough to warrant taxation cannot be numerous. More and more of them are staying on at school and college.
A far more sensible comparison is with the lower age for jury service, when citizens are deemed fit to make reasonable and considered judgments on their fellows’ guilt or otherwise.
That age is 18 and that is when young people should be allowed to vote and not before!
George K McMillan. 5 Mount Tabor Avenue, Perth.
Agree with Jim about EFTA
Sir, I read Jim Crumley’s column (March 12) and agree with what he was saying, particularly about Gordon Wilson. Let’s face it, he certainly makes sense and understands what people want from government and it isn’t ugly wind turbines blotting our beautiful landscape against the wishes of local people.
I also like the idea of Scotland joining the European Free Trade Association. We would get rid of all the petty rules and regulations Brussels foists on us and we might also be able to rebuild our fishing fleet.
June Reid. 12 Findhorn Street, Dundee.
Marchbanks, it doesn’t add up
Sir, Dundee’s review of recycling centres proposes complete closure of Marchbanks recycling centre and stopping of bulky/mixed/residual waste collection at Riverside recycling centre, so all this would have to be taken to Baldovie, at the opposite end of the city.
As a result it will cost responsible citizens more time and money to dispose of rubbish legally, while both the council and private landowners and businesses across the north-west of Dundee will be faced with the costs of cleaning up after fly-tipping and bonfires by less responsible dumpers.
I submitted a freedom of information request to Dundee City Council asking for a selection of annual figures for each of the three recycling centres. The cost-benefit analysis is deeply flawed it only looks at the current cost of operating Marchbanks, but fails to anticipate any costs resulting from its closure.
It seems that the impact and costs of dealing with increased fly-tipping and the effect on the city’s recycling and composting targets were never considered.
Marchbanks attracts considerably more users than Riverside, although not quite as many as Baldovie. For the last five years, the amount of recyclables collected at Marchbanks has been close to that collected at Baldovie, and actually exceeded it for the last two years.
The figures show that Marchbanks is a very popular recycling centre.
This is not surprising, as Marchbanks is the most centrally-located of the centres, and the only one serving the north-west of the city.
It does suffer from traffic issues and a congested layout but, as such a busy centre, this surely justifies more investment rather than closure!
Perth, which is a much more compact city with a population barely one-third the size of Dundee’s, opened a second recycling centre last year to improve its recycling performance; Dundee Council is nave to imagine they can achieve the same result by doing the opposite.
Colin McLeod. 65 Johnston Avenue, Dundee.
Why destroy life support?
Sir, The health board’s responsibility is to support human health, however, the health board in Dundee has ordered the felling of 40 mature trees in its grounds located between Dudhope and Albany Terrace. In so doing they have removed enough oxygen production to sustain the lives of 1,600 people.
The tree, the largest and longest living organism on the planet, as well as producing oxygen absorbs pollutants from the air thus the health board has just helped to raise the rates of certain diseases such as cancer and asthma.
Trees are fundamental to supporting life on earth, without them it isn’t only the red squirrels, bats, shrews, voles that disappear, it is all life.
When will those who decide to fell a mature tree realise that every tree you destroy you remove the life support of 40 loved ones?
Louise Bowles. 37 Albany Terrace, Dundee.