22 hours ago
7
I would like to thank Simon Tisdall for his informative and educational journalism over the many years I have read the Observer. His articles on the new world era, created and perpetuated by the second Donald Trump administration, have been one of the few considered insights into our demise towards an acceptance of immoral behaviour by powerful demagogues.
He has articulated an interesting proposition for the UK: a unified Europe which includes Britain, a concept rejected with the Brexit referendum, but rejuvenated by the betrayal of Ukraine, Europe and the UK by the US (“Britain has been paying a high price for Uncle Sam’s craziness. It’s time to turn to Europe”, Comment). For centuries, England barricaded coastal defences because of threats of invasion, but the recent era of supposed protection by allying UK interests with the US has been exposed as a fallacy.
Michael and Raewyn Firmston
Auckland, New Zealand
I congratulate Simon Tisdall on his explanation on why it’s time for the UK to return to Europe. Look back at history, the US dragged us into Korea and then stopped when it got too tough, it threatened to attack us over Suez, it knew about the Turkish invasion of Cyprus and failed to inform the UN. Its calamitous exploits, particularly the abandonment of allies in Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria, is well documented and recent threats to take over the Panama canal, Greenland and Canada show it is not to be trusted. It is time for the UK to realise that, for Americans, Europe has been the preferred battleground and they will do anything to persuade Russia to join them as an ally against China.
GW Munro
Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire
Section 28 is vital for victims
I was concerned to read Danny Shaw’s article regarding the use of pre-recorded cross-examination for complainants in criminal trials (“MoJ accused of ‘spinning’ video evidence study as rape convictions fall”, News). Section 28 is a special measure afforded to survivors in sexual offence cases, in recognition of the trauma of giving evidence – an experience many describe as worse than sexual violence itself. Cheryl Thomas KC claims conviction rates are lower when survivors use section 28, but without it there would be even fewer convictions as many survivors would not give evidence.
Justice means more to many than convictions alone. Procedural justice – being treated fairly, with dignity and afforded a chance to voice their experiences – can be equally as important to the process of recovery and section 28 can help intimidated survivors achieve this.
We agree that our courts require urgent investment but current rhetoric conflates issues with backlogs and technology with the use of section 28. This is deeply unhelpful, not least for those survivors of sexual violence and abuse who, without section 28, would have no justice.
Ciara Bergman
CEO, Rape Crisis England and Wales
Leeds
Welby’s error of judgment
Justin Welby says he would forgive John Smyth (“Justin Welby says he forgives serial abuser John Smyth”, News) if he saw him today. Surely someone has to ask for forgiveness and, by implication, admit their guilt before it can be given. As far as we know, Smyth never asked for forgiveness or admitted his crimes. I don’t forgive him and I suspect neither do his victims.
Jim Hatley
Brighton
First they came for…
Referring to McCarthyism, Kenan Malik quotes Ellen Schrecker: “Only two people were killed; only a few hundred went to jail” (“Just like McCarthy, Trump spreads fear everywhere before picking off his targets”, Comment). What is often ignored is the firing of thousands of government employees and many suicides because of actual or perceived homosexuality, well documented by David K Johnson in The Lavender Scare. Individual authoritarian states choose specific groups as scapegoats, but the canary in the coalmine common to them all is sexual minorities.
John Warburton
Edinburgh
Yoko’s legacy
Yoko Ono may continue to be pilloried for breaking up the Beatles (“Yoko Ono is now getting acclaim, but why do rock stars’ female partners get so much abuse?”, Comment), but let’s not forget that she purchased John Lennon’s childhood Liverpool home in 2002 and gave it to the National Trust to help preserve his memory. She deserves some public goodwill for doing that.
Mick Beeby
Bristol
Royal Mail’s giant gaffe
The “inveigling” of the Irish mythical figure Fionn mac Cumhaill into a set of Royal Mail stamps (“Let Britain’s magical, mythical creatures inspire a patriotism untainted by politics”, Comment) probably isn’t the most egregious of British misappropriations of Irish things. While I can’t see it “stoking ethnic conflict” it probably would have been advisable for Royal Mail to limit this issue to exclude this part of Ireland and Irish folklore.
Ciarán Mac Murchaidh (Kieran Murphy)
Droim an Tí (Dromintee), Contae Ard Mhacha (County Armagh)
Wigmore still reaches out
Rachel Cooke celebrates Wigmore Hall’s decision to divest from Arts Council England’s funding by suggesting that it will be free from “onerous outreach work rather than to excellence in performance” (“Wigmore Hall’s principled stand over public funding is music to my ears”, Comment).
The implication is that arts organisations’ work with and for the communities they serve is somehow a burden or a distraction from important artistic endeavour. Wigmore Hall is an organisation for which funding made up a very small proportion of its turnover and it has committed to continuing its outreach work. Many other arts organisations are simply not in a position to support such vital work without public subsidy.
Rose Goddard
Director, Cultural Philanthropy Foundation
London SW2
Wasabi etiquette
Not once, but twice, Ed Balls references “wasabi in the soy sauce” (Food & Drink, Magazine). That is a major faux pas in a Japanese restaurant – akin to putting tomato ketchup on your spaghetti in an Italian restaurant or pineapple on a pizza.
Ken Fletcher
Liuzhou, Guangxi, China
