I WAS actually quite pleased to read the letters from
Pat Hughes and Arwel Thomas on August 25 and
September 4 respectively.
The hard won right to freedom of expression is too
important to be taken for granted or disregarded and I
can assure them that I most certainly do value that
freedom and would never attempt to deny anyone the
right to exercise it. Censorship and restriction of civil
rights are anathema to me are are small time
committees behaving officiously though that does not
preclude the occasional bit of flak being hurled at
Postbag correspondents. It's a small price to pay and
if taken in the right spirit can lead to improved
understanding.
On that note, I suspect that PH and AT unfortunately
misinterpreted the drift of my reference to 'meddlers'
in the Abergavenny redevelopment farce. I don't wish
them to be gagged. On the contrary, I would like
those charged with the task of implementing the
much needed improvements to the town to get on
with the job in hand instead of constantly stumbling
into the endless series of barriers to progress
deliberately erected time and again by the
aforementioned meddlers.
I honestly believe that the large majority of the local
population would be delighted and relieved to have
the entire issue surrounding a new development on
the cattle market site signed, sealed and delivered.
Without doubt, an anti Asda campaign has been
maintained even though disingenuous denials have
been made and it was even suggested quite recently
by a SAUCE member that Asda profits disappear to
America. What utter nonsense. Presumably by the
same token SAUCE members oppose all foreign
investment in Britain including that of Lidl and Aldi
since the Germans would then be the beneficiaries.
Propaganda can be used to devastating effect as we
know from the wholly destructive ambitions of the
Nazi killing machine through to the Bush/Blair alliance
which lamely rested on finding non existent weapons
of mass destruction.
I am not suggesting that the SAUCE bottle is full of
war mongering despots but their twisting and turning
has certainly succeeded in creating a mini war zone.
I recall one particular individual (FOE, say no more)
stating that "the battle has only just begun." So it's
not surprising that it's taking so long to reach a truce
prior to building bridges let alone a supermarket.
I hope that Arwel Thomas no longer feels aggrieved or
fears that his four years spent fighting the Nazis were
in vain.
My late father spent six years doing the same thing
and I am thankful to both of them and their
generation for what they did. It is quite likely that had
they failed the opinions, anecdotes, amusing stories
and annoying battles of words in Postbag would never
have been permitted.
The Chronicle without Postbag? Unthinkable!
Haydn Gear
Llanfoist