Readers' letters - July 21

Wolf whistles are a compliment, not a crime
A writer says there are double standards when it comes to perceived sexismA writer says there are double standards when it comes to perceived sexism
A writer says there are double standards when it comes to perceived sexism

How ridiculous to try and make wolf whistles a hate crime. When I was 18, I was involved in a car accident and my head was smashed into the windscreen (they were made of glass at that time). I was horrified at the state of my face, with my eye and mouth stitched, and I lost lots of confidence. Later, I was walking past some guys, they were builders and they wolf-whistled at me. Can I just say how delighted I was and how my much-depleted confidence started to return. Men get a raw deal these days.Women are allowed to lust after Poldark star Aiden Turner, for example, but if men behaved in this way towards a woman they would be in trouble. It is so unfair. It will get to the stage when men will stop being tactile and end up being afraid to give a woman a hug. What a sorry state of affairs. Janet BerryAddress supplied

We don’t like being pushed around by EU

Brexiteers should surely welcome the call by former Tory minister Justine Greening (a Remainer) for a second referendum on the way forward for this country. Many of us voted to leave the EU not because we dislike Europe or Europeans (though that’s the way we’ve been misrepresented) but because we hate bullies and we don’t like being pushed around. It is through bullying that the increasingly authoritarian, unelected officials of the EU run their show.They bullied David Cameron when he went to them, cap in hand, to seek halfheartedly a few piffling little reforms which, if they had agreed to some of them, could have persuaded some of us that the EU just might, in time, be willing to mend its heavy-handed ways. And post-referendum, they’ve bullied Theresa May when she, wringing the cap that Cameron apparently handed over to her, has tried to “negotiate” with them over Brexit.Who trusts the politicians to do a proper job? It should be down to all of us to decide – should we go it alone with no deal, should we accept the worst-of-all-worlds deal that the EU will allow us to have, or should we revert to the status quo that existed before we dared to make a dash for freedom. Given the way Brussels have behaved over the last two years, I’ll bet the vote for a no-strings Brexit would be bigger than ever.Mike PriestleyAddress suppliedNot another one... If any politician, such as former Education Secretary Justine Greening, feels tempted to again utter the words “second referendum”, they should immediately be despatched to see Brenda from Bristol for a political reality check. It was she who, on hearing that a snap election had been called in 2017, summed up the nation’s mood when she said “Not another one! There’s too much politics going on”.After attending such a meeting, it’s a fair bet that the offending politician would emerge suitably chastened and contrite and, after being allowed a period of recovery, should be ready to resume normal political discourse.Thomas W Jeffersonvia emailNothing for diabeticsAs a diabetic (no sugar, honey or glucose), I find local supermarkets unhelpful. The ‘free from’ aisles look promising, but a closer glance at the labels reveals nothing for me, and people like me. Don’t forget there are three million people in the UK who are diabetics and probably as many more who are unrecognised. A pack of sugar-free biscuits for that afternoon cup of tea would be nice, but enquiries at some major chains confirms that they do not cater for the likes of us. It would be good if more recognition was given locally to the needs of this quite large market. Margaret HeatonAddress supplied