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They deserve respect

We have recently read about a Swindon taxi driver bring racially abused by a customer disputing the fare between Wroughton and Chiseldon.

I just can’t believe people are still being abused for doing their jobs. It’s a real insight into the workings of people’s minds round here. Do you think that taxi drivers take the job with visions of riches and an easy life? Do you think they enjoy picking up groups of drunk idiot loudmouths at 4am?

The taxi drivers of Swindon and others in every town deserve protection. Please stop treating taxi drivers as second class citizens.

Roger Lack, North Swindon

Bogus propaganda

Steve Jack’s letter defending the colonial settler state of Israel in its continuing brutalisation of Palestinians and theft of their land makes the usual fact free claims. Mr Jack’s argument falls at the first hurdle because there is no serious scholarship which backs any of his claims.

Today even pro Zionist historians acknowledge the expulsion of Palestinians from their homes by acts of appalling terrorist violence. It’s just that some of them justify that terrorism. Moreover, there are numerous veterans today, who took part in those terrorist attacks on Palestinian villages, who are prepared to openly testify to the fact. Mr Jack says Palestinians rejected a state. What they rejected was expulsion from their homes.

Today the Israeli state is ever more flagrant in its rejection of international law and its continuing theft of Palestinian land, something recognised internationally and reflected in a growing solidarity movement.

I thought for a moment I had spotted a rare moment of clarity in Mr Jack’s letter when he referred to a “genocidal terror organisation that places women and children in the firing line.” But no, he wasn’t referring to the mis-named Israeli defence force at all.

Steve Jack’s method is to continually relay bogus propaganda long rejected by anyone with any knowledge of the issue.

The idea is that no-one with knowledge will be fooled but the wider public may come to think there is actually a debate about these issues. The tobacco industry tried to whitewash their activities using the same method.

Peter Smith, Woodside Avenue, Swindon

They should serve us

Once again, the local election (on 3rd May) has become a party-political battle. But why should this be so? Local elections are about local services (such as road repairs, refuse collection, parks etc) which have nothing to do with Party ideology.

Democracy is supposed to mean that we elect the person whom we think will represent us best. In a local election that means the ward councillors we elect should be representing the people of their ward when they serve (us, not a political party) on the borough Council.

Malcolm Morrison, Prospect Hill, Swindon

From hero to zero

The French economy is in deep trouble with 9% unemployment and a huge amount of industrial unrest. Train drivers, teachers, nurses and air traffic controllers are taking to the streets in France to protest against the industrial relations changes proposed by President Emmanuel Macron.

Tens of thousands of public sector staff have been on a series of strikes against proposed redundancies and the austerity policies of the French government.

Our television screens have been full of vigorous hand shaking and hugging between Emmanuel Macron and the US President Donald Trump. It seems that Emmanuel Macron is apparently a hero on the world stage while at home in France his authority is evaporating and his popularity plummeting.

Steve Halden, Beaufort Green, Swindon