Readers' letters - July 6

Giving children the wrong idea of war
What do you think about Armed Forces Day?What do you think about Armed Forces Day?
What do you think about Armed Forces Day?

While celebrating British Armed Forces Day, town halls up and down the country are facing criticism for letting children play with guns.

Many events at the weekend were intentionally glorifying violence and presenting kids with an unrealistic image of war.

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When the day was introduced in 2009, it was criticised as an attempt to rehabilitate armed conflict for the public.

Many examples of small children being placed at

the centre of Armed Forces Day advertising are out

there.

No other institution in Britain could get away with treating children this way.

Armed Forces Day gives children the impression that war is exciting and uncomplicated.

Young people have a right to make up their own minds about complex ethical issues as they grow up, not to be swamped with thinly veiled pro-war propaganda.

Royston Jones

via email

animal welfare

End this cruel way of killing

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Your newspaper coverage of the exemption from the requirement that animals be stunned before slaughter –granted to certain religious groups – has been much appreciated by those of us campaigning for an end to this exemption. I have collected 10,000 signatures on a paper petition.

While collecting the signatures, the many Muslims I spoke to were open to change.

Most of the general public I spoke to were not aware that there has been such an exemption since 1933, certainly not of the Jewish method of slaughter.

A enforcement officer told me of the horror when he was at one halal meat wholesaler during the Eid Festival this year.

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He witnessed “anyone having a go at cutting lambs’ throats and then leaving them in agony while they went off to lunch”.

At the moment, MPs are ignoring the many requests to ban non-stun slaughter.

The unsuspecting public should be told of the contamination risk as animals that are left bleeding in the slaughter area after the ritual are more likely to inhale blood splashed on walls, toilet waste and vomit. Because the unstunned meat is mixed with the other meat in the food chain, this would be impossible to label.

June Ellis

Address supplied

royalty

Prince should become duke

I think HRH Prince Edward gets a rough deal.

He is the Queen’s third son. The other two are dukes.

So too now are her two grandsons. Yet Prince Edward remains an earl.

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Admittedly Prince Harry is sixth in line to the throne whereas Prince Edward is now eighth but at the time of their marriages – when the appointments were made – Edward was fifth in line and Harry sixth. The Earl of Wessex has been a successful businessman and charity leader.

I think his earldom should be advanced to a dukedom.

Neil Inkley

Walton-Le-Dale

city centre

Poor state of city

Re: Taxpayers face hefty legal bill after County Hall mishandles awarding of £104m healthcare contract to Virgin Care (LP June 23). When projects come up for tendering, how many firms apply, or are picked for their fair prices?

For example, Preston Bus Station and Preston Market, what are their final figures on completion? What was the price tendered?

The state of Preston centre is disgusting. A few examples are the library, town hall, session building, and old police station. All these buildings need cleaning and repairing.

How much money was spent on Church Street?

It is disgusting, a waste of money and the state of it brings Preston down. There are far too many takeaways.

Wake up Preston Council.

J Simpson

Preston

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