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We are dehumanised

I TYPE this letter on the 50th anniversary of the passing of the Abortion act in 1967, since when we have aborted 8.8 million babies.

Today more than 200,000 a year are aborted in our country, with hardly a murmur of concern from our society as a whole.

In my previous letter on this issue I was of the opinion that this is, sadly, an example of a nation that is rapidly becoming cold and callous and I stand by that statement.

When we are killing 200,000 of our own kind every year, what other conclusion can you come to?

There is much I would like to say on this issue, but because of pressure of space may I just say (and please don’t misunderstand me, I realise that for women this is a deeply personal and sensitive subject, and that many have been terribly scarred by abortion) that the truth is that this is a human and societal issue, not a gender issue, and because of that I profoundly disagree with Steve Thompson (letters Oct 4) who stated that I should stay out of the abortion debate because I am a man?

I have no intention of getting involved in a war of words with him over this, but his view is extremely dangerous to the cause of free speech when he wishes to exclude half the population of an opinion on this because of gender and it should be strongly opposed and resisted.

Abortion has harmed our society, it diminishes and dehumanises us as human beings and if we can do this to the most defenceless of our own kind created in God’s image what does it say about us as a society?

A society that is, in my opinion, not only becoming more cold and callous, but rapidly becoming devoid of love and compassion.

STEVE JACK, Parsonage Court, Highworth

Finding the right words

K KANE accuses me of hypocrisy in his letter “Pot calling the kettle black” and, of course, I must confess that, like everyone else, I am occasionally hypocritical.

However, in the letter of which Kevin complained, I must disagree.

Some Brexit supporters, Des Morgan for instance or even Martin Costello to some degree, write balanced and informed letters arguing there is still a case for Brexit.

Others write nonsense and hyperbole and accuse Remainers of being traitors who should be tried and at the least imprisoned.

My words were to differentiate between the two, as a careful reading of my letter would show.

I had some problem finding words to show my contempt for the latter that weren’t offensive to others and settled on headbanger as it describes someone who voluntarily drives themself into a frenzy.

If I have offended anybody who voluntarily drives themself into a frenzy, so be it.

Kevin asked if I thought it was all right to to call someone a troll because they disagree with me; of course not, but if they write in an unnecessarily abusive or threatening way that is exactly what they are.

STEVE THOMPSON, Norman Road, Swindon

We all care for planet

CN WESTERMAN is very arrogant to claim that he and other “intelligent” people are the only ones that care about the planet.

I would like to point out to him that the biggest threat the UK faces is from religious extremists, and the only thing that will save us from them is to stand as one nation and return them to Mother Earth.

If he hates Brexiteers, he must also hate the other 27 nations that are currently refusing to co-operate with the UK.

We don’t prefer isolation, we prefer to be unshackled from an unelected elite that run the EU. The world is our oyster, not an expensive lock-in to an unaudited trading system. Intelligent people learn from bad experiences.

He claims a superior intellect, what would he replace Nationalism with? Birds of a feather will flock together, so you will have lots of small tribes fighting each other. It would have to be a dictatorship that crushed all dissent. Ah, the EU.

I note that, like myself, he is a Republican. I have lived with that for 70 years and accept that the monarchy is here to stay.

That being the case, I claim my birthright too, I am English and want the best deals going for my fellow English citizens. Other nationalities will no doubt equally look after their own interests.

The resentment of foreigners comes when they get preferential treatment over the indigenous population.

This does happen, straight off the back of a lorry into a house or hotel, free health treatment, cash hand-outs, no rent, rates or energy bills, while the rest of us pay through the nose. Yes, this is justified resentment.

ALAN SPENCER, Crossways Avenue, Swindon

White poppy ends war

THIS year I will once again be wearing a white poppy rather than a red poppy.

I began doing this because I felt a vague unease with the conduct of Remembrance Day and the way the red poppy is used, but it took me several years before I could pin down my reason for this feeling.

I agree that we should remember and honour those who have died for freedom, but over the years we have forgotten why we should remember and the original message of Remembrance Day has been lost. This can be summed up in two words: NEVER AGAIN.

The white poppy is often given away rather than paid for, but any money that is raised goes to the Peace Pledge Union.

In their own words: “Since 1934 the Peace Pledge Union has been campaigning against war.”

Perhaps other readers can inform me what the British Legion has ever done to prevent future wars?

HOWARD MARCH, Swindon

Truth about knife crime

WHY is it that ‘the powers that be’ - those in charge of a service - always try to put a positive spin on bad news?

In your report “Police play down the town’s knife crimes” (SA 26th Oct) we are told that “compared to other towns and cities, the evidence did not point to Swindon suffering a high knife crime rate.”

However, there were 289 cases of “people possessing a weapon” in Wiltshire last year – that is nearly six cases a week. And this is up from 270 in 2015/16 – a rise of approximately seven per cent.

Regardless of the fact that knife crime may be more prevalent in other towns and cities, if you are the victim of a knife crime, you are ‘100 per cent injured’ – and could be killed.

We, the public, together with the police, must work together to do all we can to reduce all violent crime.

MALCOLM MORRISON, Prospect Hill, Swindon

I mugged a Remainer

I’VE just mugged a ‘Remain’ supporter. I took £350 out of his wallet but he didn’t seem to mind. I felt a bit sorry for him so I gave half of it back but only on condition he spent it on things I say he can and everything he buys has a picture of me next to it saying I had paid for it.

He agreed. He said that it was a fantastic idea and that he wouldn’t be able to survive without me.

We are meeting again tomorrow to do the same thing.

Moral of the story - we must walk away from the bullying EU. As JRM quite rightly said, we don’t owe them a brass farthing.

MARTIN COSTELLO, Eldene, Swindon

Lower the road here

I WOULD like to comment about lorries getting stuck under the Wootton Bassett Road bridge.

What really wants doing is not improved signs. The road needs to be lowered. All the council need to do is think of a excuse why not, remembering road tax has just been increased.

ROY SMALL, Haydon Wick, Swindon