Friday's Letters: 'Best practice' forgotten in the raising of our children

But the expression is curiously absent when it comes to raising our children. In this area, we appear not to be interested in "best practice", which is surely that, in an ideal situation, children should be raised by their natural parents – father and mother, and if this is not possible, to place them in a home that as closely resembles the pattern as possible.

This practice has served the human race well during its existence on Earth, and it is doubtful whether it would have survived had the practice not been adopted. It is a practice that also appears to be widespread throughout the animal kingdom, probably for the same reason.

I am sure that there are many children who are being successfully raised in a gay or lesbian household, and in the future it may well become commonplace, but is this "best practice"?

I can't help feeling that the Catholic Adoption Society is being

bullied into making one of two choices – either to forgo all its principles and accept adoption applications from gay and lesbian couples, or to stop its huge contribution to the principle of adoption altogether.

No doubt the society is being made to feel guilty by being told that if it had the interests of children at heart, it would forgo the strongly held principle that children should be brought up in a family unit of a man and a woman. This argument does not appear to apply the other way round, even though there are organisations that cater for those gays and lesbians who wish to adopt.

Why, just for once, can't common sense prevail, whereby the Catholic Adoption Society is allowed to continue its excellent work and, at the same time, stick to its firmly held beliefs? It would, of course, help if the Church of England supported the society on this issue, but typically it is conspicuous by

its silence.

There is no doubt in my mind that the pendulum will swing the other way on this issue in the future, as it usually does on such controversial matters but, in the meantime, many children will have passed through a system that may well have not been "best practice" for them.

From: David T Craggs, Tunstall, East Yorkshire.

From: John Watson, Hutton Hill, Leyburn, North Yorkshire.

ONCE again, Bernard Dineen has hit the nail on the head (Yorkshire Post, March 8).

We are slowly losing one of our most treasured possessions, namely, freedom of speech.

I can't understand the mentality of the people who sent home the little boy, as he wrote in his column, for calling one of his schoolmates "gay". What does a young boy know about homophobia?

You hardly dare mention the word "homosexual" in this day and age because you are branded as a homophobe.

You do not discuss some aspects of immigration or you are classed as a racist.

Jokes we used to tell at school like the old chestnuts about the Englishman, the Scotsman and the Irishman are out. They are racist.

Some of the harmless nicknames we used to use as children are out. They are racist.

Why are some people so sensitive about name-calling? It is something we have all endured at some time in our lives, as long as it is not abusive.

The Catholic Church, which is doing such a good job with its adoption agency, is having to shut up shop because of Harriet Harman's equality law. Surely the right way to bring up children is with a father and

a mother and it is in the child's interests to have a proper father and mother. Nothing else will do.

The whole thing is getting totally out of hand and ridiculous. Why can't we turn the clock back and get back to some basic British common sense?

A student's fears over lack of safety

From: Laura Cook, Broad Lane, Leeds.

REGARDING the distressing court case of the drug addict Gareth Brear who murdered Joe Cook, described by his family as "a shining light full of hope, ambition and future" (Yorkshire Post, March 9).

As a Leeds Met student myself, I now realise the importance of protection and safety, in my own home and on the street.

This can only be a calling for more police to guard our streets in the same manner in which they did 40 years ago. Maybe then I will start to feel significantly safer, despite the fact I should have all along.

From: Bob Swallow, Townhead Avenue, Settle, North Yorkshire.

I REFER to Barrie Frost's letter (Yorkshire Post, March 9) regarding young offenders.

On the front page of the same edition your headline refers to yet another murder of an innocent, Joe Cook, a university student – in this case to steal a 10 bike.

Mr Frost quotes a figure of 140,000 per annum to incarcerate young offenders.

Taking this as a yardstick and relating it to the murderer in this case, his sentence of a minimum 26 years equates to 3.64m and that, at today's prices to you and me, as taxpayers. By the time he is, if ever, released, that sum will likely be over 10m.

Surely the time has arrived when we should re-examine the question of capital punishment for the most heinous of crimes?

Frankly, I am a sight more concerned for those whose lives have been taken from them at a stroke. The Asian shopkeeper recently killed for a few cigarettes in Huddersfield is another case in point. God knows what their families are going through.

Evil that lives on

From: Laura Darnbrough, Oakworth, near Keighley.

IN the space of a week we have the Yorkshire Ripper requesting his release and Jamie Bulger's killer Jon Venables back behind bars. Surely the latter is proof that, no matter how long these evil people serve, they will never be fit to live among the general public.

One thing that recurs is the need to be fair. Not to the victims and their families but to the monsters that commit the crime.

I personally am sick to death of this.

These evil monsters should hang but unfortunately this country is run by do-gooders who live in a completely different world to us.

The people who sign the release forms should be made personally responsible for anything that happens. Also, the general public should have the right to see up-to-date pictures of these criminals, they should not be protected.

Victims and their families have to endure a life through a darkened tunnel knowing that full justice will never happen, and why should they?

Green light to food labelling

From: Lucy Haines, Headingley, Leeds.

I WRITE in response to the article calling for a single food labelling system to stop confusion(Yorkshire Post, March 6). I do not label myself a health freak, but do find myself looking at certain labels just to check how much junk I am actually eating and it is just far too confusing at times.

I totally agree that consumers are confused by the range of labels that appear on the front of food packaging. When looking at the labels on food packaging, I immediately look for the levels of fat or the amount of calories and find if they are not clear, then I cannot work out how much is too much.

You have to really know your health and fitness stuff to be able to make any sense of the jargon that is labelled on foods these days. I agree that foods labelled with the traffic light system are much easier to comprehend.

I understand that it is too soon for a new system to be adopted until a final decision is made at European level, but the sooner the better. I, for one, would truly benefit if the traffic light labelling was adopted as it would make my dieting days a lot less stressful.

A 'freeze' we can endure

From: Ruthven Urquhart, Cottingham, East Yorkshire.

MAY I respectfully suggest that the Ministry of Defence, which controls the Met Office, "freeze" (surely, an apt word!) or even reduce the vast income of 200,000 per annum, being received by its chief executive, John Hirst?

Many Government departments are desperately lacking in efficiency, but I believe our Met Office tops the political league of errors, and it is, thus, a huge relief that it no longer dares to risk issuing any further long-term forecasts.

Under no circumstances should failure ever be rewarded.

Tetley flavour close to home

From: Jean Lunn, Slades Road, Golcar, Huddersfield.

REGARDING the relocation of the Tetley brewery, we have lost so much in Yorkshire: textiles, steel, mining, a lot of farming and now Tetley brewery.

Won't the change of water make a big difference to the flavour of this beer? Not being a connoisseur, perhaps someone who is thinks it isn't important, but my cup of tea always tastes better made at home.

A rule too far

From: Max Nottingham, St Faith's Street, Lincoln.

IT is reported that there are moves afoot to introduce compulsory training for users of electric mobility scooters.

This is both unwanted and unnecessary. A rule too far. Pedestrians look kindly on the users of mobility scooters. They drive their machines

with sensible restraint.

These scooters are a great aid to those whose bodily faculties are less than perfect. They lift the shackles on mobility and are very easy to drive.

Tale of two cities

From: Mrs June Wolfe, Sutherland Road, Lightcliffe, Halifax.

I NOTE Richard Hawley's comments (Yorkshire Post, March 4) that he will love the city of Sheffield until the day he dies.

If only I felt the same about Bradford, my birthplace.

Tagging MPs

From: Ken Holmes, Cliffe Common, Selby.

IT is expense fiddling MPs that need microchipping, not dogs (Yorkshire Post, March 9).