Readers' letters: A patriot can't serve two masters

Over recent years I’ve been wrestling with the idea of patriotism and still am and I enjoy trying to refine and amend my ideas courtesy of the letters pages of The Scotsman.

Obviously William Morgan (“Vassal State?”, Letters, 1 July) is a patriot, a British patriot and ridicules the idea of Scotland as a vassal state.

Chambers’ dictionary defines a patriot as “a person who truly, though sometimes unquestioningly, loves and serves his or her country” and he rather gives the game away by celebrating his perceived joy at being British. You may claim to be a Scot, William, but by Chambers’ definition a patriot can’t serve two masters.

William rails against the “SNP Indy zealots” and while its some time since I’ve been a member of the SNP, I’m content to be in the zealots’ camp because I want the opportunity of independence to provide a better future for my children and their offspring.

Arguments over the definition of a patriotic Scot continue on our letters page

​I believe that in Scotland there is a different political and social ethos. Unlike William I’m not content to be subject to the English exceptionalism and free market economics with its “diel tak the hindmaest” approach to society – an attitude no better illustrated than with the current deplorable situation at Thames Water.

I want to vote for a government which has the good of the people as a priority, not its party members. The blatant theft of our nation’s resources and the flagrant infringements of our democratic wishes should make any moral supporter of the “British way” blush in embarrassment.

I want a democratic opportunity to benefit from an economy predicated on renewable energy in all its forms. The Ponzi scheme that is the British economy’s dependence on property value inflation can’t last much longer. I want my children to benefit from quality healthcare services funded by a redistribution of wealth courtesy of a land tax.​I want a meaningful future for me and my family and I’m convinced I’m far more likely to get it in an independent Scotland than with a backward, socially repressive British state.

​Iain Bruce, Nairn, Highland

Don Roberto

I much enjoyed Allan Massie's review of James Jauncey's biography Don Roberto: The Adventure of Being Cunninghame Graham (Scotsman Magazine, 1 July) which sounds like a very timely addition to his great neice Jean Polwarth’s Gaucho Laird of 20 years ago and the late Ian M Fraser’s Fighter For Justice (an appreciation of Don Roberto’s social and religious outlook in which one of the radical founders of the Iona Community explored in detail some of the apparent paradoxes which it seems left Allan Massie puzzled).

Hopefully too this review will encourage some of Scotland’s political leaders to read Jauncey's account of how fascination with his famous relative encouraged him to embrace Scottish nationalism late in life as exactly the socially progressive outward-looking eco-friendly philosophy to which we should all aspire. One must hope that Allan Massie’s review will help win over even more recruits.

Neil Robertson, Dundee

Points of view

Iain WD Forde (Letters, 4 July) opens his contribution by saying “it would be good to see The Scotsman no longer containing such old-fashioned ideas”. I believe a core value and benefit of reading and supporting titles such as The Scotsman is to hear different perspectives from those you may hold true. This is why a quality, strong free press with a platform provided for people of varying views is so valuable and crucial, particularly as many people retreat into a social media world where their views are simply reinforced, rather than challenged.

Just because you may feel a view is “old-fashioned” doesn’t make it so. I don’t always enjoy reading all the different viewpoints in The Scotsman but I also fully appreciate that it’s healthy to have my perspectives challenged. Hopefully that is something we can all agree on.

J Lewis, Edinburgh

Case history

Alastair Dalton is right about baggage delays at Edinburgh Airport (Scotsman, 3 July).

When I collected my luggage there at around 10.30pm on Sunday, 2 July, I was struck by the mounds of unattended, unclaimed luggage piled up round the baggage claim area.

There were no staff members in sight, so was there anything to stop any arriving passengers from helping themselves to these unclaimed bags?

Fiona Garwood, Edinburgh

Monarchy rules OK

I can think of many arguments in favour of the monarchy and many against it. The Greens, a party which seems to specialise in producing policies without consultation, which do not work and which would have egregious impacts on the people and the economy of Scotland, are deliberately snubbing the invitation by the King to the service of thanksgiving in Edinburgh today.

I read that Patrick Harvie, and Lorna Slater, co-leaders of the Scottish Greens comment (Scotsman, 4 July) say their party would prefer to make a separate Scotland into a republic. I think of such noted heads of state in republics across the world as President Donald Trump, President Bolsonaro, President Mugabe, President Putin and President Xi. This list is far from exhaustive, by the way.

The thought of having an elected president in this country like any one of those above, compared with the likes of Queen Elizabeth and, now, King Charles is a powerful argument, to my mind, in favour of retaining the monarchy.

Dave Anderson, Aberdeen

Matter of debate

So sixth-form debating society members and Scottish Greens co-leaders Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater are not to attend a service of thanksgiving for the King in Edinburgh today. Surely a relief for all concerned?

Martin Redfern, Melrose, Scottish Borders

Dark Ages

I expect I was supposed to be shocked to hear the co-leaders of the Green Party had turned down an invite to bow and scrape in medieval fashion to the King at St Giles’.

I was, however, more shocked by the fact that Labour and SNP politicians had accepted their invitation. Are they worried about missing out in the next honours poor-oot or that the media will make out it’s a bad thing?

Either way, it’s refreshing to know at least one political party isn’t still living in the Dark Ages and has a modicum of integrity.

D Mitchell, Edinburgh

Trans ideology

Tim Hopkins’ letter (3 July) on Susan Dalgety’s excellent article (“Transgender ideology in Scotland's schools is peddling a harmful lie”, 1 July) was a lazy collection of rehashed non-arguments which strongly suggested that he had not, in fact, read the piece.

The Schools’ Guidance referred to in the column undermines the Article 8 right to a family life, and the right of girls to safety, dignity, and privacy. Pointing out the problems, as Ms Dalgety did, is not to suggest that trans people do not exist, as Mr Hopkins rather laughably claims.

Of course all pupils at a school are “people”. People come in two sexes, however, and this is a category protected in UK law. Equality Network claims to defend the rights of gays and lesbians, but denies the very reality of sex-based attraction. Having tried to have protections for women removed in the Equality Act (in evidence given to Westminster in 2015), we see that Mr Hopkins’ relentless campaign against women and girls continues. We wonder if he will ever have the grace to apologise for that?

Susan Smith, For Women Scotland, E dinbur gh

Real incompetence

The previous Labour/Lib Dem Scottish Executive is probably the most incompetent administration since devolution in 1999 – despite what Richard Allison says (Letters, 3 July) – as they managed to underspend the Scottish block grant to the extent of £1.5 billion which, at the time, could have dualled the A9 from Perth to Inverness and modernised the by then ageing Cal Mac ferry fleet.

Instead, they imposed the long-term burden of a hugely expensive PFI method of finance on our health boards and education authorities in order to comply with Gordon Brown’s policy of removing capital expenditure from the public purse.They only built six council houses during their term in office and were intent on closing hospitals prior to the SNP coming to power in 2007. Hardly a great success.

Mary Thomas, Edinburgh