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Another Irish view

BILL Williams gives a very slanted view on Northern Irish history. The Irish Nationalists took a stand on civil rights and took many years of struggle and determination to achieve where they are today.

Jeremy is a peace-loving man and has always stood up for the oppressed and signed a motion condemning IRA violence in 1994.

Despite the borders being changed by the Unionists in their favour Sinn Fein will soon be the majority party in Northern Ireland.

The Plantation of Ulster took place in 1609. Thousands of Scottish and English Nationals moved in and grabbed land from the native Irish.

For three and a half centuries the Catholic population of Ulster was denied basic civil rights and treated with contempt and hatred by the Protestant ruling majority.

In 1967 The Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association was formed to fight against discrimination in housing,voting,and employment.

In January 1972 British paratroopers opened fire on a peaceful demonstration killing 13 innocent people in what became known as Bloody Sunday. The Provisional IRA became the dominant force and the massacre its main recruiting agent.

With anti-Catholic roots the DUP is an anti-gay, anti-abortion, far right wing organisation and has links to the Protestant terror group who committed hundreds of atrocities against the Catholic community.

Arlene Foster recently met the UDA boss days after the Loyalist murder in Bangor of Colin Horner in a car park in full view of his three-year-old son. There are two sides to every story Bill.

PATRICK O’SHEA, Highworth

UK crushes democracy

BILL Williams’ letter to the Adver (Saturday 1 July) fails to move beyond his usual cliché-ridden meanderings and throws no light on anything.

There is no such thing as a Scottish gene and no such things as non- democracy genes found in the Middle East.

What’s offensive though isn’t the farcical ignorance of biology displayed in these ramblings and we could happily ignore the letter if it were not for his suggestion that the lack of democracy in the Middle East is a choice of the mass of the people there.

There have been frequent movements for democracy across the Middle East. The UK, often but not always together with its US master, has always moved to crush those movements and protect dictators.

The Economist magazine wrote of Bahrain in 1966: “If the (UK) troops were not there the Government would probably be overthrown.”

And: “Certainly the British have no sympathy with the notion of political organisation in Bahrain.”

And the first of many coups managed by the CIA was in Syria in 1949 against the country’s first elected president. In 1953 it was Iran’s turn to see a democratically elected government overthrown by the US/UK.

And, of course, the Arab spring terrified the US/UK, which moved quickly to protect the dictatorships.

If Bill’s tribalism didn’t prevent him knowing anything about the Middle East he might believe an anti-democracy gene dominates British foreign policy.

Or maybe a bloodthirsty weapon supplying gene explains UK support for the Saudi regime.

PETER SMITH, Woodside Avenue, Swindon

Pink Floyd appeal

I AM researching a book about psychedelic rockers Pink Floyd, famed for their 1979 hit Another Brick In The Wall and their stage effects, including the inflatable pig Algie who slipped his moorings at Battersea Power Station and flew off across London.

Before selling out arenas around the world, Pink Floyd started out playing smaller venues, including a performance in Swindon at the New Yorker discotheque in March 1967.

I’m interested in capturing people’s memories of this gig for posterity and hopefully in the process telling the band’s story in a slightly different way via first hand accounts of their earliest shows.

I’d love to hear from anyone who saw them in their early career and I can be reached at isawpinkfloyd@gmail.com.

RICHARD HOUGHTON, Totnes Road, Manchester

Tackle this pollution

IN THE light of the recent fuss kicked up by various political parties reference diesel pollution from road vehicles in the UK, how is it in that in a programme on Chanel 4 on TV Monday night nobody appears to be mentioning what is probably one of the biggest polluters on the planet?

I refer of course to the vast amount of pollutants emitted by cruise ships. such as those operating from British ports. Carnival for example sail P&O plus Cunard and These have proved to be pushing into the atmosphere three time the amount that one finds in Central London.

Moreover, they discharge into the sea vast amounts of pollution in the form of sewage and other grey water pollutants. Once the seas are unable to support life then the planet will die.

Are these shipping companies just to big for any government to take on?

DAVID COLLINS, Blake Crescent, Swindon

Voters made a choice

IN REPLY to Adam Poole’s nonsensical remarks regarding the European Disunion he should delve into his dictionary more often regarding the word democracy.

It is a system of government that allows the people to vote on issues that affect their daily lives. Perhaps I am missing something, but did that democratic choice all over the British Isles not return a vote of get out of the failing Disunion?

Another point I would like to make regarding many Remainers’ comments on our lack of intelligence regarding our vote to leave, I passed the Mensa test many years ago and I could not wait to cast my vote for freedom and the return of a sovereign Britain for a better future for my children, my grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

If Mr Poole fancies an IQ test, name the date.

BILL WILLIAMS, Merlin Way, Swindon