May 25, 2006
CHAS Cheesman referred (May 19) to the protesters against what many regard as an expensive and ridiculous new road project at Camp Bling as rabble.
I remind Mr Cheesman that all the best decisions made by various governments worldwide have been influenced by what he refers to disrespectfully as rabble.
The end of slavery; the end of children working in mines and as slave labour in British factories; women's right to vote and eventually achieve equality with men; and the ending of the Vietnam War by many top celebrities in America and elsewhere.
Good common sense from political quarters is a rare thing as recently seen.
As one of the protesters against the methane production that could kill many thousands of local people, even as far as Southend, I am proud to be one of his so-called rabble.
What a pity such rabble did not protest before the Buncefield fire or before Fixborough or before so many other disasters that could have been prevented.
Come Mr Cheesman try to be a little bit broader minded please.
ROY KIMPTON
Stanway Road, Benfleet
DEMOCRACY at work! I am grateful to the good people of Southchurch, Thorpe and Shoebury east and west who have again given such a clear and democratic mandate to councillors to proceed with the dualling of Priory Crescent. For too long the protesters and writers from Leigh, Thundersley and Hockley, etc, have claimed to represent the majority. Yet again the majority have voted otherwise. Surely we can get on with this project now and stop wasting fuel and time every day just to get out of Southend.
S MILLS
Shoebury Road
Shoebury