Readers' letters - May 1

A couple of years ago, I went on holiday in Ireland and saw a litter-free rural area in and around Co Monaghan.

I was still met 
by a litter-free environment this year when I returned to the country.

There were no cigarette ends, drinks cans or bottles. There were no plastic carrier bags – which are illegal in Ireland – and no graffiti sprayed anywhere.

I’ve seen a villager in Glaslough come out of their cottage and shout a holidaymaker back to pick up a till receipt that was accidentally dropped, which they did.

I have to ask myself why is it that the Irish have pride in their litter-free country and here people have no respect for the areas where they live or the countryside, where illegal fly tippers operate without fear of being caught?

Here where I live, rubbish is dumped on a daily basis.

If the Irish can keep a litter-free country, why can’t we?

I’m afraid if I had the power, I would imprison the perpetrators, no matter who they are, and give a £1,000 fine. How people can just dump rubbish on someone else’s doorstep is beyond me.

The Green Giant

via email

Election should be about Brexit

How does one view the reason for the forthcoming election?

I believe it should be first and foremost about Brexit and what is needed to ensure the successful departure from the EU.

The EU, especially that little clique of executives, have shown their distaste for Brexit and the UK before, during and since the referendum. The rhetoric of the EU should further the resolve of the leavers and the way they vote and may even influence some of the “remoaners”.

If one can make an analogy of the situation.

The directors of the company you work for have issued a new directive of how the company will be run in the future. What do you do?

1. You attest your dislike of the plan, say you are unable to accept it and leave.

2. You explain your dislike but accept that the future of, not only the company, but yourself, depends upon all working together to ensure the continued success of the company and employees.

3. You use underhand tactics to delay, hamper, discredit and devalue the plan which will, in all probability, lead to the downfall of the company and destitution for the employees. Do you really want that?

The referendum about the EU left us in no doubt that the majority wanted to leave. We must be committed to working together for the good of our country and our people to make Britain great again. For too long we have been hamstrung by the EU. What began as a common market for trade has morphed into a political monstrosity that is not fit for purpose. Don’t let the negatives of some of the politicians sway your decision.

D Angood

via email

We’ve become a vacuous society

I encounter the school run/walk every morning when I stroll to the local shops – children running in busy roads all over the place while mum and/or dad are texting or talking to someone on the other end about who put what on Facebook about them. Very responsible.

I travelled on the train recently – it was crowded and I sat next to a young man who did nothing but check his messages every 90 seconds. Not a newspaper or book in sight. We’ve become a vacuous society in many respects.

T Maunder

Address supplied