Readers' letters - February 10

Demos are tiresome
Is it ridiculous to call pregnant women pregnant people instead? What do you think?Is it ridiculous to call pregnant women pregnant people instead? What do you think?
Is it ridiculous to call pregnant women pregnant people instead? What do you think?

“Fancy a walk dear? It will get us out of the house for a couple of hours for some fresh air and exercise, a chance to meet new people and clear our lungs with a chant or two and flex our arms carrying a placard with some slogan or other”.

This is the new craze called demonstrations that is catching on, clogging up the thoroughfares in our towns and cities, both here and abroad.

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Anyone with an axe to grind can now go online and rustle up a rent-a-mob to demonstrate their ability 
to raise hysteria and argue 
the toss, not that everyone knows or cares what it is for, as long as they can cause a bit of disruption it doesn’t matter.

The cost of policing the demonstration is the last of their considerations.

The same applies to online petitions, anyone with the similar axe may start a petition.

Rather than write to their MP and make them work for their money or write to the newspapers with their grievance, they would rather have a full-on popularity contest to see how many lemmings turn up. It is becoming tiresome, and it begs the question – has there ever been any satisfactory result for the trouble they cause?

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For those who feel it is their ‘right’ to show their disapproval (or show off) in public, whether it be Brexit or Trump – which in both cases will not alter the outcome – why not compel the instigators of these demonstrations to lodge their case first with their city/town councils for consideration including the cost of policing etc?

Unauthorised marches to be met by water cannon.

I have to say that my heart goes out to the young woman demonstrator captured forever in a picture last week holding a placard which solemnly states: “I stand up to Trump!”

I’m with you sister, but I would never have announced that in broad daylight.

Name and 
address supplied


politics

Queen shows an example

The US President, our Prime Minister and the Speaker of the House of Commons have all said things recently, which they thought they had the legal right to say in their particular positions.

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The US President presumed he could decide who entered the United States. That’s an interesting one – an Englishman’s home is his castle – hence Mr Trump might have the right to decide who enters his country? I decide who enters my house.

Our Prime Minister, rightly I think, has had to ask Parliament to decide on Article 50. Mr Bercow, I think, is quite out of order in deciding that Mr Trump should not be invited to speak to both Houses of Parliament.

Running alongside these three important people is the Queen, who seems always to make the right decision – perhaps Mr Trump, Mrs May and Mr Bercow could take a leaf out of the Queen’s book before opening their mouths?

Michael Storey

Address supplied

words

People who are pregnant

The world’s gone mad after the British Medical Association edict that pregnant women are not to be called expectant mothers. If they are now to be called pregnant people, does that mean that ‘mother knows best’ is an expression of the past and does it end the annual celebration of Mothering Sunday? Somehow replacing mother with people and mothering with people smacks of the ridiculous beyond belief.

Edward Grainger

Address supplied