Record choice shows lack of judgement

THE 2013 award for sheer crass insensitivity must surely go to the producers of the BBC Radio 2 Jeremy Vine Show (May 24) for allowing the record Don’t Fear the Reaper by US band Blue Oyster Cult to be played immediately after an item on the barbaric murder of Drummer Lee Rigby in Woolwich.

Many organisations in this country are run by younger people, which is good in one sense because they are au fait with modern technology.

What they often lack, however, is experience – and does it show. As a result, the most basic errors of judgement are made. All they had to do was remove the record from the playlist and replace it with another.

Many organisations are characterised. When you peek beneath “the brand” by hypocrisy, insincerity and often simple thoughtlessness – the same thoughtlessness and disregard for others which thinks there is nothing wrong, say with putting your feet on the seat of a bus.

Many of the people who work for and run these organisations know little different because they grew up in the mega-affluent post-Thatcher era, a period of immense parental indulgence where everyone could “have it all”. You can’t altogether blame them, but what we could have is the odd wiser choice of experience in a workplace or organisation. Something which today is not always possible, alas. Or even thought desirable.

Foolish to 
arm militias

From: Karl Sheridan, Selby Road, Holme on Spalding Moor, East Yorkshire.

THE fact that the UK and France have successfully pushed to supply arms to selected groups of the rebels in Syria is a very silly move. I personally think that handing out weapons to unstable groups of militia – no matter how good their cause is – will have severe ramifications for the future, with those weapons eventually finding their way into the hands of al-Qaida and other terrorist groups. I honestly wonder if this country and our politicians will ever learn anything from our historical mistakes, especially as regards the Middle East.

Over the years as a nation we have interfered and meddled, causing mayhem and unrest in many countries whose way of life and culture we just haven’t a clue about. After the Second World War, we made promises to Israel, to Palestine and to Egypt which were subsequently broken resulting in their perpetual conflict that seems unsolvable even now. Libya for example is still a shattered country years after we helped “liberate” it, as indeed is Iraq which is still in a highly volatile state.

And let’s face it, I have no doubts at all that Afghanistan, once we have pulled our troops out, will revert back to its tribal and religious warring just as it was in the middle ages, no matter how civilised it appears on the surface. Sadly many good lives will have been lost to achieve nothing.

Why don’t we just mind our own business for once and cease meddling in other countries problems and concentrate on sorting out our own?

Unfair rant 
on cyclists

From: Malcolm Naylor, Grange View, Otley, Leeds.

JAMES Colin Smith’s criticism of cyclists (Yorkshire Post, May 16) was so full of bigotry and prejudice that it completely obscured the real cause and solutions to our transport problems. His anger and frustration was misdirected.

He should take a more compassionate view and put the blame where it really belongs – with the Government and Department for Transport.

However, to expose how one- sided Mr Smith’s arguments are, may I point out that motorists also commit the offences he accuses cyclists of, plus many others.

For example, exceeding speed limits, failing to indicate when turning, jumping red lights, using mobile phones, parking on pavements and near to junctions and opening doors without looking. Therefore the problem is not only the cause of cyclists. Motorists have an equal responsibility. His suggestions to solve the problem by making cyclists pay road tax; tests and MoTs are laughable. When have paying road tax, tests and MoTs ever improved the behaviour of motorists?

Family bond with Whitby

From: Mrs EH Bell, Newland Avenue, Driffield, East Yorkshire.

WITH reference to your article (Yorkshire Post, May 17) about the phantom digger, I was born and bred in Whitby more years ago than I care to recall, but Whitby has always remained very close to my heart wherever I have lived, particularly St Mary’s Church and the Abbey area. My parents were married at St Mary’s and I was christened there, plus for generations some member of my family has lovingly cared for the church.

Referring to the digger, perhaps if less publicity had been given to Bram Stoker and the Goths in recent years, rather than to the Christianity in which the lovely town was always steeped (including the fact that as all Christians know, the date of Easter was set there), the mysterious digger may not be so anxious to endeavour to find his fortune in the churchyard!

Memories of the U-Boats

From: David Quarrie, Lynden Way, York.

I WATCHED the two hour long programme on BBC1 on Sunday about the Battle of the Atlantic, ably presented by Dan Snow.

The battle lasted almost throughout the Second World War, so I wondered why May 2013 was chosen as a time to remember it. Churchill had said that the threat of the U-Boats was the only thing that really frightened him during the war, and it was in May 1943 that the Kriegsmarine (German Navy), lost 40 of her submarines, a very significant turning point in the crucial battle.

Allied shipping lost 5,000 ships and something like 80,000 people to U-Boat attacks, and it is right to remember the outstanding bravery and skill and ingenuity of all the Allied naval and Merchant Navy personnel. I was particularly pleased to see and hear a representative of todays’ German Navy being invited to talk.

This programme showed Britain at its best – we need far more of equal quality.