Tuesday's Letters: We're waging a war on terror that simply isn't working

How can this be the case when just at the time when there is talk of our soldiers pulling out, presumably because their mission is deemed a success, and talks with the Taliban are taking place to persuade them to come "on side", this country is on its highest terrorist alert ever? Does this indicate success? I think not.

One question that is never asked, let alone answered, is why do these people hate us to such an extent that they are prepared to sacrifice their own lives in order to kill us on our streets and in our skies? What have we said or done to provoke such hostility towards us?

As far as I'm aware, and I stand corrected on this point, there is no such imminent terrorist threat in Finland, Poland or Switzerland, to name three European, predominantly "white" countries. Why?

There cannot be another country in the world that has bent over backwards to accommodate those of the Muslim faith to the extent that this country has, much against the wishes of many of the indigenous population.

Their representatives are to be found in our Parliament, on local councils and in other prominent positions. In some areas schools have been turned upside down to accommodate their children.

Even the diet of the indigenous population has changed, curried chicken now being as popular as fish and chips. In many ways it has been an integration success story.

But still there are those of the Muslim faith who want to destroy us. I again ask the question – why?

Maybe if we could come up with some answers to this question, we could eventually make our streets and skies permanently free from a terrorist threat, without fighting wars in distant lands.

From: David T Craggs, Tunstall, East Yorkshire.

British law must always reign supreme

From: D Wood, Thorntree Lane, Goole.

DESPITE much hot air from David Cameron before the last General Election on how he will take back powers from the EU and curb its spending, we have seen reported in the Yorkshire Post in the last week alone that he will give the EU an further half a billion pounds of our money.

He will also all but sign control of our armed forces over to the French, including giving them a veto on action to protect the Falkland Islands from foreign invaders. This is a gross insult to the country, its people, and especially to the armed forces. Perhaps Mr Cameron would consider standing down in favour of Mr Sarkozy, at least he puts his country before any other including the EU.

And finally he has capitulated to the European Court of Human Rights (what a joke!) over votes for prisoners. When is Mr Cameron going to develop the courage to say no. So we signed the European Convention on Human Rights 60 years ago, but this is now well past its sell by date and is greatly abused by our enemies, terrorists, and criminals, usually with the encouragement of highly paid human rights lawyers.

We should withdraw from this convention, and the EU too if they don't like it, and make it clear to all and sundry that British law, and British law alone, will reign supreme in the UK.

Good work by Mrs Thatcher

From: Miss Judy Gibbard, Littlecoates Road, Grimsby.

I TOTALLY disagree with your letter writers (Yorkshire Post, November 4) about Lady Thatcher. She did an excellent job; she encouraged people to buy their own homes and shares, including buying their own council homes.

The only mistake she made, as far as I can see, is that she didn't ensure that the councils built many more new council homes and flats, to replace the ones that were sold.

However, she couldn't possibly have foreseen at the time the huge number of immigrants, who Labour let in over the last 13 years.

While we needed immigrants, who have done well for us, we don't require such labour in such numbers. They have overloaded our housing stock and National Health Service.

We still need some doctors, nurses, scientists, some business people (although I think most of our people are computer literate), but we don't need any other categories, because our people should be doing the work.

I think Baroness Thatcher should certainly have a state funeral and I'm glad her photograph was on the front page of your newspaper, as indeed on most of the papers. She did a lot for the working class and lower working classes.

Memories of shoe shop

From: Brian V Large, St Wilfreds Close, North Muskham, Newark, Notts.

AS a Mexborian born and bred, I was delighted to read that WS Pettit ("Shoe shop dynasty marching on after 150 years", Yorkshire Post, November 2) was still thriving and I wish them well.

I am now in my 79th year and this was one of the shops, most now sadly gone, which made Mexborough High Street the attractive and busy centre that it was during my formative years. You could go to Rotherham or Sheffield to shop but you certainly didn't need to. Mexborough had it all in abundance.

However, it is a matter of regret that I should have to take issue with your somewhat careless presentation of the story, which will not be lost on any Mexborian over the age of 50. Apart from mixing the captions of the lower pictures (a daft mistake), the "salesman" with "customers" inside the shop is no less a person than the late Mr William Squirrel-Pettit the second, known affectionately throughout Mexborough as Willie Pettit and the father of Peter.

His "customers", both wearing similar overalls, look more like employees or contractors.

Wind power is irrelevant

From: David F Chambers, Sladeburn Drive, Northallerton.

RENEWABLE UK complains (Yorkshire Post, November 4) that those who oppose on-shore wind farms are selfishly damaging the economy and not helping the employment situation.

The contribution to the grid made by wind-sourced energy is extremely small, painfully expensive and at times an actual embarrassment. An effort to reduce unemployment is in itself obviously commendable, but less so if the jobs created are essentially non-productive and contribute little beyond a profit to the manufacturers and landowners involved in the wind industry, while it lasts.

Establishing an effective and secure energy policy is going to be essential to the country's economy, and in this overall objective wind-sourced electricity appears to be all but irrelevant. Renewable UK must surely be aware of this, and if it is meeting opposition it has no right to be appealing to a sense of patriotism on the part of those who raise logical objections.

My feeling is that if the coalition felt able to withdraw from the renewables target so rashly entered with the EU, it would be able to play a more honest and constructive part in the future of our energy supplies.

But I guess it doesn't and therefore it can't.

An image problem

From: AW Clarke, Wold Croft, Sutton on Derwent.

I'M sure that other readers will agree there is a degree of irony in the report (Yorkshire Post, November 5), on the day after it was revealed that David Cameron had put his official photographer on the Civil Service payroll, that the Girl Guides should deliver a 25,000 signature petition to the Prime Minister calling on him to intervene in the "air-brushing" of celebrities and models in magazines and newspapers.

Mr Cameron would do well to remember the fall from grace of Tony Blair, partly because of his preoccupation with image and spin. It really does beggar belief that he could be so insensitive as to go ahead with this trivial appointment at a time when the whole country is having to make savings and many civil servants are threatened with the loss of their jobs.

Prisoners do not deserve the right to vote

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

THE outbreak of violence at Moorlands prison in Doncaster consolidates the feelings of most folk that prisoners should not get the vote.

To my mind, if people commit crime against law-abiding members of society, then those people when convicted should forfeit the majority of civil and human rights that the rest of us enjoy.

A "fly on the wall" TV programme filmed at the Medway custody suite did nothing to dispel this feeling – the vast majority of felons passing through their doors being an utter waste of space and a blight on society, and certainly not capable of a measured and informed vote.

I was astounded at the amount of abuse the police have to accept, and furthermore was disgusted at the mollycoddling the criminals are allowed and seem to expect. As for those involved in the riots, having cost the taxpayer even more in hospital services and additional manpower, I suggest another six months be added to their sentence.

Nevertheless as one of the police said – what alternative is there? Perhaps bringing back national service would help knock some respect and sense into them, as well as giving them a skill.

Let's see our politicians work

From: John Duckitt, Goole.

WHAT has happened to the "big society"? Has it died in infancy? Surely those politicians who created it have had a splendid opportunity to be seen this week helping to clear the masses of autumn leaves from streets, car parks, etc. The last time I saw a politician doing any manual work was during the 1980s when Margaret Thatcher helped to pick up litter in the London parks. Is manual work a no-go area for today's politicians?

No mercy for sex attackers

From: Mrs H Beaumont, Fewston, North Yorkshire.

HEAR, hear, JF Taylor (Yorkshire Post, October 27). I heartily agree with your suggestion of castration for savage sex attackers. But why stop there? I have thought for a long time that paedophiles should also be castrated. And before the do-gooders say "what about their human rights?", let us remember that the poor children involved were denied any rights at all.

Who pays?

From: John King, Sheffield.

THE whizzkid bankers came in, did some super deals, took their massive bonuses, broke most of the banks, almost bankrupted the country, the rest of Europe and America leaving use with huge debts. Who pays? The Government tells us we will all have to share the burden.

Really? I would love to see a full breakdown of the rich and their ability to work the tax laws.

Real goodwill

From: Ruthven Urquhart, High Hunsley, Cottingham, East Yorkshire.

CAN I please "jog the conscience" of those intending to display their goodwill to family and friends over the next seven weeks?

Currently, all charities are suffering from considerable "donor fatigue". What about us trying to arrest this crisis, and invest in the Christmas cards specially designed and printed on behalf of these wonderful charities, thus benefiting them so effectively?