YP Letters: Syria more important than football

WOMEN and children are being slaughtered in Aleppo; we are about to get a maniac in charge of the nuclear button in the United States; we already have a maniac in charge of the nuclear button in Russia; and the United Kingdom have a Foreign Secretary called Boris; and our national newspaper headlines are all about a football manager, who can’t keep his hands in his pockets!

It is an old adage that we get the Press that we deserve, and that has a certain amount of truth in it but surely, as a country, we really need to get our priorities sorted out and apply our resolve and resources to bringing peace to Syria and the eastern end of the Mediterranean, rather than being concerned about a sport which has an over-inflated opinion of its importance.

We should support the example of the Brazilian Olympics in bringing the nations of the world together, to enjoy the pleasure of competing with others to achieve physical excellence and by this, realise – and understand – that sport can cross political and religious boundaries to show us all how to get on together in this world.

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

I HAD to smile when Sam Allardyce held his hands up and admitted that his greed had caused ‘an error of judgement’ resulting in him losing his ‘England job’ and yet in almost in the same breath puts it down to the fact that ‘this time entrapment has won’.

Well, the point, Mr Allardyce, is that you did pass derogatory comments on the FA, and you did allow greed to colour your actions – entrapment had nothing to do with it.

Decisions didn’t advance peace

From: Martin Deane, Hull and East Riding Green Party.

THE verdict on Shimon Peres’ life is very clear and was already pronounced by US President Barack Obama: Peres was a man who changed the course of human history in his relentless search for peace in the Middle East (Colin Shindler, The Yorkshire Post, September 29).

But Peres occupied many positions in politics with immense impact on Palestinians wherever they were. He was Director General of the Defence Ministry, Minister of Defence, Minister for development of 
the Galilee and the Negev (Naqab), Prime Minister and President.

In all these roles, the decisions he took and the policies he pursued contributed to the destruction of the Palestinian people and did nothing to advance the cause of peace and reconciliation between Palestinians and Israelis.

Orgreave probe divides opinion

From: Eddie Peart, Rotherham.

HOME Secretary Amber Rudd and others do not want a public inquiry into Orgreave because it costs too much money.

We can save money by cancelling general elections, coronations, Royal visits and local councils etc. What we all need is the truth on whatever topic – and whatever the cost.

From: Dr Hilary Andrews, Nursery Lane, Leeds.

HOW I agree with George Marsden and Peter Hyde (The Yorkshire Post, September 28) about leaving Orgreave in the past. There were clashes, but both sides received injuries. I was an A&E doctor at that time and saw as many policemen injured as miners. I, personally, don’t think that raking up all this conflict in a public inquiry would be a valuable use of taxpayers’ money.

Tired of awful train service

From: Satvinder Singh, Bradford.

I AM a Bradford resident who, along with many others, commutes to Leeds for work.

In the last nine days to work, seven of these journeys (from Bradford Interchange, via New Pudsey and Bramley) to Leeds station have had two carriages.

Work commuters are having to constantly be crammed into carriages with some being left on the platform, particularly at New Pudsey and Bramley.

Despite being the closest city to Leeds, all Bradford commuters are tired of this awful service from Northern Rail to start their day. I’ve attempted two complaints in the past for delays and paying for taxi services, which took two months to acknowledge and told me it was my fault for getting a taxi.

Thoughts on presidency

From: Brian H Sheridan, Redmires Road, Sheffield.

YOUR excellent Editorial on the dreadful candidates for the US presidency (The Yorkshire Post, September 28) bring to mind an observation made some years ago by my son, a naturalised American, that in America the best people didn’t contest the presidency.

No need for Americanisms

From: Les Goodens, Hull.

YOUR correspondent Mr Sheridan (The Yorkshire Post, September 26) may have a valid point regarding the importation of foreign words into our language where there was no appropriate English term, but I still maintain that American expressions such as “train station” should not be used where the English terminology has been in use since we invented railways.