Thursday’s citizen journalists make observations on the state of families today, the May 5 vote, Gaelic’s importance to our identity, and Gordon Brown’s financial CV.
Sir, It is a bleak picture which Dr John Cameron presents (April 22) of our society but I believe he has exaggerated the extent of social devastation and is incorrect to attribute it to endemic family breakdown.
Further, marriage is not necessarily the solution to these issues, as he suggests.
There are good marriages and bad. Bad marriage and a bad family life can lead to the very problems and consequences he identifies but there are other factors that are known to lead to divorce and the break up of family life.
The two that he lists, drugs and alcohol, can be as much causes of breakdowns as well as consequences.
Separation and divorce, consequences of a breakdown, could, if dealt with properly, allow parents and children the opportunity for a new start and the possibility of a stable, caring and loving home environment.
The steady increase in divorce from the middle of the 19th century to the present should cause us to question whether our conventional, medieval view of marriage is correct and appropriate for our increasingly long-living society.
Are we by nature monogamous as Christianity would have us be, or is monogamy a religious imposition in contradiction to our nature?
If the latter, we are ill served by adhering to a philosophy that tells us that separation and divorce are wrong, that blame must be attached and that we have failed ourselves and our children.
Only by accepting the reality and probability of separation and divorce can we change our attitudes to it and better manage the consequences of the rift, ensuring that everyone affected, parents, children, and even the extended family, do not experience the suffering that Dr Cameron describes.
Murray Duncan.100 Craigie Road,Perth.Benefits of Gaelic teachingSir, It is very sad to read negative comment about the teaching of Gaelic in schools.
Gaelic is an ancient language of Scotland and is the vehicle for the expression of great literature and song. Scotland would be a lesser place if Gaelic were to go out of existence.
The possession of a second language is enhancing to the individual and has a positive effect on the development of children in their other studies and as individuals generally.
Similar voices will be raised in Wales about the teaching of Welsh. Studies there have revealed that children who study Welsh do better in their other studies than children without the language.
I agree that Scotland is competing in a global market and that the education curriculum should be broadened. It is the case that language provision in schools has reduced considerably in recent years.
It would be better to argue for more teaching of German, French, Spanish and Chinese rather than be so negative about Gaelic teaching.
The money spent on Gaelic language teaching in schools is a drop in the ocean compared to the total spent on education in Scotland.
I write as someone who is fluent in German and I know how life-enhancing it has been for me to have had that window into another culture. I am also a Gaelic learner.
Iain Gray.7 George Street,Cellardyke.Clegg tackles heavyweightsSir, A big thank you to your political diary writer, David Clegg. The four cartoon characters said it all about lightweight parties and policies.
My thanks to him for also reading our full manifesto and pointing out a couple of typo errors IT at its best. You were also spot on, reporting myself as “a heavyweight” hitter. Knock out stuff.
David Fairweather.Angus Independents Representatives.Brown man for IMF postSir, Would Gordon Brown (April 23) make a good managing director of the International Monetary Fund?
Prime Minister David Cameron wants to rule him out because, in his view, the former Prime Minister and Chancellor does not have an understanding of the problem of debt.
But this is a petty political point. The main differences between the parties is not knowledge of the scale of public borrowing. It is how quickly and in what way it should be cut back.
The last General Election showed that Mr Brown has a number of weaknesses in terms of public presentation and the ability to hold together a team.
But I do not think anyone would doubt his knowledge and grasp of the financial system. He admits he ought to have been more vigilant about the regulation of banking. That is a charge that could be levelled at all political parties.
In considering who is best to run the IMF we need to look beyond politics and look at experience.
Mr Brown would no doubt get the advice of some of the most senior economists in the world. He is well equipped to take on the role.
By 2013 he will have represented a large part of Fife for 30 years. Labour may be loathe to admit in the run up to an election but his talents can be put to better use than on endless rounds of visits to schools. Mr Cameron should show some statesmanship and endorse his predecessor for this post.
Bob Taylor.24 Shiel Court,Glenrothes.Question of interpretationSir, I had to respond to the pedantic observation of Melinda Ruskell (April 23) regarding alleged misleading information on the Holyrood ballot papers.
While what she claims is technically true, that it is MSPs not the electorate who decide who becomes First Minister, it is also true that the more votes (and therefore MSPs) the SNP get, the greater the chance Alex Salmond will be elected First Minister. In that respect, the information on the ballot paper is correct.
Stuart Allan.8 Nelson Street,Dundee.
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