THE outcry and fury from the Unionist parties over the possibility of schools opening as normal in August is so transparent and self-serving it barely warrants a response, but as I was one of those who called for this “U-turn” I felt compelled to dignify their commentary.
There is no doubt that the Scottish Government has our best interests at heart. Us, the people of Scotland. They have handled this crisis with professionalism and cool heads. They have made consistently good decisions throughout, and when a misstep was made they held their hands up to it and stated that if it is safe enough, schools will reopen.
READ MORE: Tories are fuming about the Scottish Government's school announcement
None of this can be said for the hapless, shambolic regime at Westminster or their Jim Henson-style puppets in their Tory and Labour Scotland branches. Their anger has not one iota to do with what is best for school kids, their education, the teachers or anything so noble as the public good. They are enraged because once again they cannot lay a glove on the Scottish Government and they know it.
Hats off to Mr Swinney and the Scottish Government for listening to the people of Scotland and acting with our best interests at heart.
RJ Bulloch
Glasgow
AFTER Tuesday’s announcement, John Swinney was accused of an about turn by a braying media. It was nothing of the sort!
The BBC chose to suggest he had stated earlier in an interview with Gordon Brewer that there was no chance we’d be back to normal by the end of the school year, conveniently ignoring the fact that school year ends next week rather than in seven weeks’ time.
Patience is indeed a virtue. In this case, tolerating the inconvenience will bring the reward all the sooner.
Again thanks to shrewd thinking by our First Minister and her team, all of us sticking to the rules might well see our schools back to normal in seven weeks’ time.
Tom Gray
Braco
ARUNDHATI Roy said that the pandemic is a portal to a new future, giving us a chance to
rebuild society. We must abandon the old, inhuman and inefficient ways, so that we can slowly and carefully construct a better world. And this is happening. Think Black Lives Matter. Think Extinction Rebellion. Think Glasgow Welcomes Refugees. Think the statue of the slaver Edward Colston, after many petitions and polite requests, overthrown by peaceful direct action.
The Duke of Sutherland now stands tall and proud like Shelley’s Ozymandias boasting “Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair”. May he soon join the rest of the murderous crew in the junkyard of history – Colston, Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot – all the tormentors of humanity.
Not all our idols are recognisable as such. This week a convoy carrying hydrogen bombs is travelling to Coulport to serve our great British idol, the real source of our salvation – Trident.
To this idol we will sacrifice everything and everybody, including our own children.
Our idolatry is so deep-rooted that it does not see itself for what it is. And it does not realise that we are ourselves the first nuclear victims. Because we must stifle the spark of decency that lies in every human being before we can harden our hearts to commit mass murder.
The convoy will travel through towns of quiescent citizens, unknowing – or uncaring – of what it actually means. Finis. The End. The last scene in the human comedy, a sky of flashing light and a manic duck’s voice stuttering “Th th th that’s all folk”.
Martin Luther King said we must live together as brothers or perish together as fools. Can we not stop this madness now at the eleventh hour? Can we not see that we must survive or perish together as one family?
Brian Quail
Glasgow
LAST week we had Mr Marra on the Kaye Adams programme speaking for several minutes on lack of schooling, and at no point was it mentioned he was a Labour councillor.
Then on Reporting Scotland we had a “worried parent” talking about education without informing us she was a failed Tory candidate.
Next day another “worried parent”, with no mention she was the head of PR for the LibDems.
On Tuesday we had a “worried parent” who was glad children are going back to school but asking will they be safe.
Does the BBC keep all these parents on speed dial to just go against anything/everything the Scottish Government says or does?
Also on Tuesday we had Radio Scotland leaving the First Minister’s briefing to go to Westminster to hear Boris Johnson.
The BBC is promoting Westminster actions and finding plenty of willing people dismayed at the “slow” actions of Scottish Government. The result is mixed messaging promoted by the BBC in Scotland. It is way past time the BBC in Scotland represented Scotland and supported its people.
Winifred McCartney
Paisley
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