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By owning cars, 'most people have a lethal weapon in their hands'
Prosecutors said Paul Doyle ploughing his Ford Galaxy into more than 100 Liverpool fans during a victory parade in May was motivated by a ‘simple fit of rage’ (Metro, Tue). It would be far more accurately described as ‘road rage’.
Will this incident finally spark a proper conversation about the social cost of our car-dependent society? A society in which most people own a car is a society in which most people have a lethal weapon in their hands.
We could do so much more to improve public transport yet our politicians shy away from the issue – afraid to upset vested interests in the motor industry, or a vocal minority of motorists who insist on their ‘right’ to drive a car, regardless of the impact on anyone else.
Are we prepared to take meaningful action now, to prevent a repeat of the Liverpool incident? Or, like the US with its gun laws, will we bury our heads in the sand? Dr Murray Tremellen, York
‘Blaming the shooting of innocent Jews in Australia on what is happening in Gaza? They have nothing to do with it’
What a disgusting view from RA Skett (MetroTalk, Tue), who says there can be ‘no surprise’ about the Bondi Beach terror attack.
He says Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu has left a ‘legacy of hate for Jewish communities everywhere for his disproportionate revenge attack on Gaza’.
Blaming the shooting of innocent Jews in Australia on what is happening in Gaza? They have nothing to do with it. By that measure does UK PM Sir Keir Starmer doing horrendous things make it OK to shoot British people? Of course not. What a horrible way to think. Maxine, Essex
Reader questions ‘What other people get terrorised for the actions of their or someone else’s government?’
It’s the old Jew hatred – any excuse will do! What other people get terrorised for the actions of their or someone else’s government? None. Denise, London
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The British Medical Association think that ‘resident doctors are the only ones whose earnings have not kept up with inflation’
The British Medical Association seems to live in a vacuum, where they think that resident doctors are the only ones whose earnings have not kept up with inflation since 2008.
Its members have voted to press ahead with their five-day walk out between December 17 and 22.
They have received the largest pay rises of any public sector employees in the past three years – almost 30 per cent. They want a further 26 per cent.
If we all demanded to have our pay restored to the levels they want we would be in an inflationary spiral.
The government promised to accelerate the expansion of specialist training posts, which the BMA is also asking for, and the strike goes ahead despite health secretary Wes Streeting’s plea to delay it because of the surging number of flu cases.
Support for the doctors seems to be waning. They used to be held in high esteem. No longer, in many eyes. Helen, Brighton
Is accepting skilled migration a form of ‘neo-colonialism’?’
Roger (MetroTalk, Tue) either misunderstands or misrepresents my position when I said ‘accepting skilled immigration from poor countries to staff our NHS etc’ was a form of ‘neo-colonialism’.
My objection is not, as Roger suggests, to immigration. Rather, it is to ask how it can be right for countries such as Pakistan to invest limited resources into raising and educating its young only for the rich West to reap the benefits once these people reach adulthood?
I’ve yet to hear a convincing argument in favour of this ‘brain drain’ from the poor to the rich. Chris H, London
‘Perhaps only white people are allowed to improve their economic prospects elsewhere’, says reader
Chris H asked why Muhammad (MetroTalk, Thu) chose to ‘build a life here’ rather than stay in Pakistan.
Yet British people often decide to live in places such as Australasia, North America or in France without it being described as ‘neo-colonialism’.
Perhaps only white people are allowed to improve their economic prospects elsewhere? Robert Bucknor, Tunbridge Wells
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