WHILE I respect those who will celebrate this week’s crown initiation ceremony, personally I can’t understand why they may wish to do so.

I would have no prejudice against Charles as an individual were he not so obscenely rich at the expense of others.

The coronation is only one example of this, when so many folk are struggling day-to-day to survive.

To make it even worse, there will be a good many “coronation celebrations” across the so-called “UK” which we are all told are free – while the reality is that many, many, many of these are funded to the tune of an estimated collective cost of £100-£180 million to all who pay taxes in this country.

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Charles, one of the richest men in the country and indeed the world, isn’t paying for this jamboree – it is the Westminster establishment which decrees that, despite everyone in the “UK” already sharing a debt of £100,000 per person or more, we should also pay for this absolute extravagance.

For me it is a nonsense, and I repeat – nothing in this “celebratory” occasion is free, despite what we may be told.

Personally I look forward to when we in Scotland soon regain our independence. When we do we’ll have a real written constitution, which the “UK” has never had.

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A requirement of that constitution will be that all voters in Scotland will have the opportunity to vote and decide whether or not we wish to continue with such a medieval system of unelected monarchical head of state or not.

In the spirit of true democracy and departure from allegiance to a system of privilege and power, often derived from theft from and abuse of others, I look forward to that.

For the record: any allegiance of mine is to all of our people in Scotland – regardless of where they come from – and NOT to any anachronistically privileged person.

Proud to play for Team Yes.

James Dippie
Dalry

A THOUGHT for Saturday. As the oath is being taken, I would like us to pause in a silent tribute to all those that have died as a result of the imperial genocide unleashed by the King’s predecessors.

Let us remember in silent reverence how the white race decimated the First People of North America, the peoples of South Africa, the Aborigines of Australia and the Maori people of New Zealand, the so-called White Dominions of the Empire.

We should also remember those in the colonies deemed, because of the colour of their skin, unsuitable to run their own country. Instead, they found themselves brutalised into subjection and robbed of the natural resources.

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We can also come closer to home, and look towards this group of islands that form our North Atlantic Archipelago. How many poor wretched souls deemed unworthy have been deported by an uncaring justice system or cleared from the lands by a brutal aristocracy?

So no, I will not be swearing an oath to any loon on a throne in London. Not on Saturday nor on any other day.

Cliff Purvis
Veterans for Scottish Independence 2.0

WHEN oh when are the twisted, embittered, graceless and merciless holy wullies of the SNP continuity rump going understand the metaphysical fact that in order to be forgiven one must forgive?

There continue to be calls for the perpetual damnation and ostracisation of Mr Alex Salmond from a frightened and self-righteousness alliance of Unionists and “Nicolaphiles”. There are those sick souls who will jeopardise national unity by not attending Saturday’s historical march because of Alex and Alba. Have they no respect for the statute or moral law, and do they really believe that Alba activists are simply Mr Salmond’s sycophantic flunkies as per the “continuity” set at the SNP and the ghost of Nicola?

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There is an urgent imperative for mutual forgiveness across Scotland, among “people of good will” to use the unbidden words of the Archbishop of Canterbury, and convert it not into not an oath of allegiance but into “Scotspeak”for the benefit of the downtrodden and impoverished in our nation. Let our national bard Mr Burns do that for us as follows:

“Then gently scan your fellow man,
Still gentler sister woman,
Though they may gang akennin wrang,
To step aside is human.
One point may still be grealty dark,
The reason why they do it,
And just as lamely can ye mark,
How far perhaps they rue it.”

Think on and tak tent.There are many voices of our ancestors and the cries of our children and grandchildren saying: “Get to Glasgow Green and bury your hatchets ... for our sakes!”

Dr Andrew Docherty
Melrose

MIKE Russell’s intellect is something I have always admired, therefore I was interested to read Neale Hanvey’s reply (We cannot afford to sit in our bubbles if we want to win, Apr 27) to Mike’s column of April 22. A clash of great intellects it proved not to be.

I don’t recall any reference to homophobia in Mike Russell’s piece, nor could I understand any relevance in Hanvey’s football comparison. What I did take from Hanvey’s reply was that it contained and revealed a personal bitterness, grievance and victim attitude and was very subjective.

What his piece didn’t illustrate for us was how to positively advance our democratic right to a referendum or to independence. Unless of course one considers that being interviewed by Nigel Farage greatly advances our cause. I must admit, though, I didn’t see Mr Hanvey’s “debate/interview’ with Farage, which is not something I deeply regret (I was washing whatever hair I have left that night).

Bobby Brennan
Glasgow