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Don't forget the real issues about research on animals
From: Wendy Higgins, Communications Director, Dr Hadwen Trust For Humane Research, Tilehouse Street, Hitchin, Hertfordshire. IN the vital debate about animal experiments, balance is paramount.
With its pre-occupation with animal rights activism, your piece "Public opinion test for animal research"(Yorkshire Post, March 7) fell short of that goal.
Kirk Leech of the Research Defence Society (RDS) concedes thatextremist
activity is at a 30-year low.
Furthermore, all mainstream anti-vivisection organisations rightly condemn violence. Yet still, proponents of vivisection prefer to focus on the convenient distraction of activism rather than the real issues.
Let's be under no illusions about what animal research actually is, the legal infliction of suffering on nearly three million animals in British laboratories each year.
If such physical or mental distress were inflicted on animals in our homes, prosecution for animal cruelty would certainly follow.
That animals have been experimented on historically in the absence of greater knowledge and modern technology, is no indication
of their innate worth or relevance.
The undeniable limitations of animal disease "models" cause much debate among open-minded scientists who recognise that for many diseases such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, stroke and many cancers,
little progress has been made despite decades of animal experiments.
The European Commission has recognised that for the benefit of animals and patients alike, our ultimate goal must be to replace animal experiments. Advanced human cell cultures, molecular analysis, detailed computer modelling of human organs, sophisticated brain scanners, biosensors combined with microelectronics, 3-D human tissue engineering – this is the cutting-edge of medical research.
Proponents of vivisection would have us believe that the scientific community is united in supporting animal experiments.
Not so. Many scientists raise considerable doubts, yet we won't hear their voices if we don't intend to listen for them, just as we won't
find ways to replace more animal experiments if we don't look.
Derek Dooley, a modest hero and a great example for all
From: Andrew Cooper, Ascot Avenue, Kimberley, Nottinghamshire.
YOUR readers are ever ready to promote the popularity of the archetypal Yorkshireman as letters in your column appear regularly to illustrate this fact.
I get the impression that the majority of people seem to think that characters like Freddie Trueman and Dickie Bird fit the bill perfectly.
While I agree that Freddie was one of the greatest fast bowlers that this country has produced, and Dickie was unquestionably one of our greatest umpires, they are not the ones I would choose as ambassadors for our great county.
For me, Derek Dooley would be my choice. He never actively sought the limelight and, because of his modesty and quiet personality, he wasn't bothered about celebrity status.
I always had the feeling that he would cringe with embarrassment if he had heard my father wax lyrical about his mind boggling performances in a Sheffield Wednesday shirt. I cannot think of a better role model for youngsters of today.
I'm proud to say I met Derek and I was in awe of the man. A recent newspaper article sums up today's society. A sports journalist pointed out that Paul Gascoigne's latest health scare had received a larger coverage than the news of Derek's death.
I would suggest that any young player today should read about Derek's life. I have a feeling that Sheffield will come to a standstill on Friday for a legend that we shall never see the likes of again.
From: Basil A Smith, Holmfirth Road, New Mill, Holmfirth.
IN the middle 1950s, my big treat was to be taken to Sheffield Wednesday with my uncle to watch Redfearn Froggat, Jackie Sewell and the rest.
Of course, the star of the show was always Derek Dooley. The match that
stands out in my memory was the time he went up into the "box" for a corner, as he usually did.
He jumped up higher than anyone else, as he usually did and the ball was in the net. Nothing new then. However, when he came down from the dizzy heights, the back of his shirt was ripped from his back by a defender. He just laughed his head off and went and got another shirt. I think he scored another later on.
The only player I see today slightly similar is Andy Booth, who I am sure would not mind me saying is not quite at his peak today.If only we could end EU charade
From: David Wright, Easingwold, North Yorkshire.
I WAS surprised but encouraged to read Denis MacShane's comment (Yorkshire Post, February 22) about the farcical Coroner's Court and the unjustified mud-slinging and costs incurred by Mohamed al-Fayed's obsessive exposure, and public mud-raking, of Princess Diana's death.
If only Dr MacShane would write similar sensible words about his own obsession with the EU, which is a totalitarian monolith reminiscent of the Soviet Union, and see what happened to that regime
and the suffering experienced by millions of people in the East.
And where is his ex-boss Tony Blair? Hiding in the
wings for his long-awaited Presidency job, to join the other failed politicians such as Mandelson, Kinnock, and the numerous MEPs, many of whom made a mess of their time as UK MPs. We shall
be better off out of this whole charade.
A couple of favourites
From: Brian Sheridan, Redmires Road, Sheffield.
IT is remarkable that Horace and Doris remain such a hit with readers so long after Morris's death (Yorkshire Post, March 6).
At a time when cohabiting and divorced couples outnumber their married counterparts, the theme of the boorish husband and the hectoring wife, presumably committed to a dreary union for life, despite its inherent cynicism, appears rather quaint.
I recall Morris as a prolific cartoonist whose prodigious output on a range of topics was understandably of somewhat uneven quality.
However, when he hit the spot, he could be side-splitting. One effort of his stands out in my memory; it depicted a small boy returning home with his head sticking through the remains of a violin. He announces to
his bemused father: "Dad, my violin teacher's won the football pools."
Memory plays tricks and if my recollections do not resonate correctly with those of other older readers I would happily stand corrected.
Charges on the road
From: Mike Howden, Oak Tree Avenue, Scholes, Holmfirth.
I READ the articles by Howard Reed and Stephen Biscoe (Yorkshire Post, February 28) with interest and feel that I must comment.
I assume that Howard Reed is not a motorist otherwise he would know that we already pay two forms of road charging, one in the form of the annual road tax and one in the form of fuel duty. The more you drive, the more you pay.
Any further tax before a transport system in the region which equates to that enjoyed by London is an imposition and an invasion of our civil liberties. I agree that we should have more funding for public transport in the region. I also think that a major rush
to bio-fuels would be catastrophic.
Torment for cows
From: Rachel Maister, Priest Lane, Ripon.
I REFER to the account in your newspaper (Yorkshire Post, March 7) of a cow who was so desperate at being separated from her calf that
she jumped a 12 foot cattle grid and a six-bar gate, causing a fatal accident.
Lord Justice May described the reaction of the cow as
being "exceptional and exaggerated". In actual fact, the removal of calves from cows causes extreme emotional stress .
I have never forgotten the wild and questioning look in the eyes of a cow. It had rushed forward to us as we stood by the gate.
"Whatever is the matter?" I said to my friend. "They will have taken away her calf," she replied.
Tories will make sure their policies are the right ones
From: Robert Goodwill MP, House of Commons, Westminster, London.
TOM Richmond's assessment of the state of the transport system across Yorkshire (Yorkshire Post, March 6) is correct, but his assessment of the Conservatives approach
is not.
As MP for Scarborough and Whitby, the Shadow Roads Minister and Shadow Minister for Leeds, I know all too well just how bad the problems are with our road and rail networks.
Recently, Ruth Kelly announced the scrapping of plans to add additional lanes to the M62 and to fob us off with hard shoulder running at peak times. We also face the prospect of paying to use the outside lane on existing roads already paid for out of motorists' taxes.
Over the past few months, I have been seeing first hand the transport problems facing residents and businesses in Leeds, and across Yorkshire. My colleague, Transport Secretary, Theresa Villiers MP, was in Leeds last month to listen to more points of view. We will continue to do this in the months to come.
It is only by listening and learning to what the issues actually are that real solutions will be found. We are committed to that.
Ten years of promises, pledges and false dawns have seen our roads and train carriages become more and more congested. At the same time as schemes like the Leeds supertram have been axed, massive projects in London and the South-East promised for the Olympics have been fast-tracked. With the election not now expected until maybe 2010, we make no apologies for taking the time to make sure our policies are the right ones for Yorkshire.
Don't build on this land
From: Sheila Rodgers, Westwick Crescent, Beauchief, Sheffield.
GRAVES Park was given by the generosity of Alderman Graves to the people of Sheffield, therefore it is quite illegal for the council to decide its future.
Politicians have no right to put a building on this land, especially St Luke's Hospice, who I thought had better principles.
From: Alan R Naylor, Springwater Avenue, Sheffield.
AS Professor Andrew Shorthouse correctly points out, Graves Park, as other parks in Sheffield, was bequeathed to the people
of Sheffield.
If Sheffield Council is allowed to sell off any land encompassed there, it could well leave the way open to nibble away at other parks in Sheffield, and go the way that many of our school playing fields have gone in this country.
Misuse of the motorways
From: Malcolm Hanson, Bachelor Road, Harrogate.
YOUR correspondent Andrew Hutchinson (Yorkshire Post, March 7) appears to be under a misapprehension regarding motorways.
There is no such thing as a "fast lane", only an inside lane and two "overtaking" lanes. I do agree with him, though, about the misuse of the two overtaking lanes.
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