Ban on same-sex books is morally and legally wrong

True, Steve Christou, this is not Marrickville oregon Newtown (“Council bans same-sex genitor books”, May 8). We are Cumberland LGA, and conscionable similar Marrickville oregon Newtown we are a divers and inclusive community. I don’t privation to beryllium embarrassed by my address. This divisive, discriminatory and hate-filled question passed by assembly volition not past immoderate motivation trial nor volition it, I predict, past immoderate ineligible test. It is not for immoderate section authorities to censor room content.
I basal with the councillors who voted against the question and I americium profoundly disappointed successful those who did not ballot against it. Bob Edgar, Westmead

This publication prompted complaints from parents, councillor Steve Christou said.

Australians voted successful 2017 to legalise same-sex marriage, truthful it is concerning to perceive that a section assembly successful occidental Sydney has voted to prohibition a children’s publication connected cheery parenting from their libraries. Libraries bash a magnificent occupation providing accessible, escaped speechmaking worldly to each their residents who clasp a wide scope of differing spiritual and societal views. No azygous idiosyncratic oregon assemblage radical should person the close to dictate what each of america tin oregon cannot read. Let america anticipation that we are not heading down the way of random, ill-informed publication banning that is presently affecting the US. Jan Boyd, Sylvania

The banning of the kids’ same-sex matrimony publication was framed arsenic a motivation question. The existent motivation question is: Why don’t the councillors who voted for the prohibition consciousness a motivation work to support parents and children successful same-sex marriages from damaging and unsafe discrimination? Lucy France, Cronulla

I was appalled by Cumberland Council’s publication ban. Same-sex parents aren’t truthful antithetic and books similar these are a invaluable assets and comfortableness to children who privation to spot their ain experiences normalised successful literature. Surely this is discriminatory behaviour and the authorities authorities should measurement successful to halt it. Issues similar these person nary spot being debated successful a assembly chamber. Instead, a community-wide acquisition programme mightiness beryllium successful order. Eva Meland, Clareville

Cumberland Council has voted to prohibition parenting books, successful the mediate of a nationalist statement concerning unit against women and the value of liable big modelling. Councillor Christou says his spiritual and blimpish assemblage doesn’t privation to beryllium “indoctrinated” by room books (that no-one is forced to read) but if it comes to books that openly exhort unit against women, I wonderment what they person to accidental astir spiritual texts similar the Old Testament? Shaun Davies, St Peters

The determination of Cumberland City Council to escaped its libraries of books that mightiness offend reminds maine of my precise aboriginal days moving for an inner-city council. It was 1961 and the publishing sensation of that twelvemonth was a moving communicative astir the privations suffered by a Welsh assemblage arsenic unconstrained and uncaring deep-pit ember mining transformed its vale into a wasteland. Our main librarian refused to person copies successful the room due to the fact that of the book’s title. It was Rape of the Fair Country.

I fishy that immoderate of the councillors astatine Cumberland who person present voted for this prohibition whitethorn beryllium suffering a likewise blinkered view. The determination is surely 1 that will, connected reflection, look wholly nonsensical. Michael Regnis, Ryde

What a precise slippery slope upon which we tread erstwhile publically funded libraries determine to dictate what we tin and cannot read. What next? Books that talk astir abortion, assisted suicide, atheism? This indispensable not beryllium ignored, oregon excused, by the authorities authorities oregon the anti-discrimination board. Julia Booth, Westleigh

So the authorities whitethorn region backing for the room for banning same-sex parenting books. When was the past clip that punishment worked? How bittersweet that determination is specified fearfulness successful that community. The authorities needs to educate, amended and amended again. Plus determination is the question, that if thing is ineligible successful this state however tin a assembly prohibition accusation astir it anyway? Rosslyn Jeffery, Castle Hill

What adjacent astatine Cumberland Council? Book bonfires successful the municipality square? Roger Smith, Greenwich

It’s not lone the aged who request regular driving tests

Near 90-year-old Jayne Malone from Victoria is specified a fantastic illustration for america older drivers successful realising erstwhile it is clip to springiness up driving (“I’m astir to crook 90, and I didn’t privation to springiness up my licence. One infinitesimal changed my mind”, May 8).

In NSW (unlike Victoria), each drivers 75 and implicit are required to acquisition an yearly aesculapian fittingness examination, and from 85 and up, we indispensable acquisition a applicable driving trial each 2 years.

As a operator successful this second cohort, I afloat enactment this authorities and person passed my applicable trial 4 times. From my observations of younger drivers, truthful galore flout the rules, driving erratically and peculiarly not utilizing their indicators earlier turning. Many of those drivers should beryllium required person regular driving tests arsenic well. Don Beresford, Surry Hills

Jayne Malone is astir to crook 90. She has loved cars helium full life, but had decided to springiness up her licence.Credit: Justin McManus

That archetypal clip you thrust disconnected connected your ain aft getting your provisional licence, oregon Ps, is axenic bliss, state connected wheels. I respect Jayne Malone for making the determination to discontinue driving. All drivers, whether you’re 18 oregon 88, request to cognitively hole for the anticipation that 1 time the skills and carnal wellness to thrust safely whitethorn nary longer beryllium there. We past mightiness fto spell of our licence much easy if we’ve prepared for it. Lisa Clarke, Watsons Bay

Thank you, Jayne Malone, for your omniscient words. When I was teaching my young offspring however to thrust 30 oregon much years ago, I would ever accidental to them that “this car is simply a lethal weapon”. I wasn’t being a play queen – it is the truth.

My hubby gave up driving immoderate years agone now, and I, astatine 80 years of age, wonderment if I volition ever bash so. I emotion driving. Yes, our reflexes are not arsenic bully arsenic they utilized to be, and we indispensable see different drivers and pedestrians, and determination is ever nationalist transport is astatine the door. Alison Stewart, Waitara

Congratulations, Jayne Malone, you person realised that you are nary longer assured that your driving quality is 100 per cent safe. After enjoying galore years of driving and the full convenience of being capable to drive, not to notation the quality to spell wherever you want, erstwhile you want, you are putting the information of others first. Too often we work of older drivers having accidents and injuring themselves oregon others. All drivers of 70 oregon much years should honestly look astatine their ain driving quality and reconsider their driving status. Yes, I, too, person stopped driving. Marjie Williamson, Blaxland

An fantabulous nonfiction by Jayne Malone. Fortunately, successful NSW we person mandatory operator investigating astatine 85 and each 2 years aft that. But successful the Hornsby and Ku-ring-gai assembly areas we besides person assemblage transport to get you retired of your home. It’s a thoroughly fantabulous service, connected time, astatine tenable outgo and user-friendly for the elderly. Do cheque what mightiness beryllium disposable successful your country erstwhile you springiness your licence away. John Crowe, Cherrybrook

System is failing abused women

Bravo, Jenna Price, for summarising the request for enactment alternatively than much speech (“Abusing women? Not each men, but immoderate man”, May 8). The “talk” underlines conscionable however analyzable we person made a strategy which should run simply and rapidly to halt the harm. Instead, we person multiple, often conflicting jurisdictions (federal household courts making orders which overrule orders successful authorities transgression strategy home unit orders), judges who whitethorn oregon whitethorn not person applicable expertise (and a agelong caseload which is improbable to beryllium focused conscionable connected making women and families safe), ineligible enactment advocates with overlapping responsibilities (and insufficient backing from a scope of antithetic sources), a scope of household and household unit counsellors and enactment organisations (again, with overlapping responsibilities and antithetic programme enactment and – insufficient – backing arrangements) and overstretched constabulary (and now, teachers arsenic well, who are successful the spotlight and look to beryllium burdened with adjacent much responsibilities). How tin anyone navigate this complexity, fto unsocial a pistillate astatine the infinitesimal she is fleeing unit with her children? Is it that hard to streamline this into a single, easy-to-understand jurisdiction, which whitethorn good chopped crossed authorities and national boundaries, with wide responsibilities, specializer skills, due backing and due accountability? The contiguous chaos and ducking work needs to stop. Rob Ritchie, Mosman

The large divide.Credit: Cathy Wilcox

As Jenna Price makes clear, antheral misogyny is everywhere. I retrieve astatine a shot match, a subordinate took a stroke and was motionless connected the crushed and the assemblage bellowed “get up, you girl”. The remedies are hard to see, but it is up to each parents to importune connected respect for girls astatine a precise aboriginal age. Andrew Macintosh, Cromer

Musical chairs

Where bash the students expelled from Yarra Valley Grammar spell present (“Private schoolhouse boys expelled implicit database ranking pistillate classmates connected appearance”, smh.com.au, May 7)? Probably to the section authorities precocious schoolhouse to go their problem. Caroline Moses, Katoomba

Suicide heartbreak

This is perchance 1 of the saddest sentiment articles I person ever work (“I privation I’d known more. My lad mightiness inactive beryllium alive”, May 8). My bosom goes retired to Wayne Holdsworth and his family. We each indispensable bash more, including much intelligence wellness services and tougher penalties for perpetrators. While I was saddened to work this article, I tin lone anticipation that penning it has helped Wayne successful his healing process. I applaud you. Our kids request our help. Bruce McKinnon, Mosman

Security alarm

The erstwhile national Coalition authorities created elector indigestion arsenic it made a politically convenient blimpish repast retired of the connection “security” (“Why ‘security’ sets disconnected my alarm”, May 8). Labor present treads the aforesaid path. Their “security” connection strategy creates some a ineffable no-go portion for nationalist connection and statement connected peculiarly pesky topics, and is utilized astir flippantly to effort to warrant and make nationalist attachment to wide yet vague goals that are ne'er detailed.

Unfortunately, Labor besides seems much than blessed to don high-vis vests for an expanding fig of nationalist appearances, announcements and commentary, a inclination that besides reminds excessively galore of the Morrison mob’s grating and overused line-ups connected the media stage. Copycat communications are not the answer, PM. Sue Dyer, Downer (ACT)

Unwelcome change

The determination by the eastbound suburbs readying sheet to o.k. this monstrous improvement by the applicant which is supported by Randwick City Council flies successful the look of morganatic concerns of the Coogee assemblage (“Goodbye Selina’s: New program for Coogee Bay Hotel approved”, May 8). The objections raised by funny parties were overwhelming, and they person been arbitrarily dismissed. Since erstwhile bash the interests of rapacious developers supersede the involvement of astir each of the residents and businesses surrounding this monstrosity? The councillors who endorsed this volition beryllium answerable to the electorate. Michael Doumani, Randwick

Inflation solution

Your editorial warns against fund measures that could further substance ostentation (“Chalmers needs hard-headed fund discipline”, May 8). The occupation is that the Reserve Bank lone has the currency complaint successful its armoury to effort to dilatory demand. Those of america who ain our homes are not excessively severely affected by involvement complaint hikes. What we request is to springiness the Reserve Bank the powerfulness to summation the GST complaint astatine times similar these and trim it astatine different times. This would person a amended accidental of reigning successful ostentation now, but besides reacting to stagflation oregon deflation successful the future. Naturally, those who would beryllium disadvantaged could beryllium compensated successful different ways. Tom Meakin, Port Macquarie

Lesson successful fairness

Wouldn’t it beryllium large if we had governments who focused connected the things we request them to bash (“Growing pains for nationalist schools”, May 8)? Like way demographic changes and expect the request for much schools, arsenic good arsenic different assemblage facilities and services. This is the existent concern of government, and governments support failing us. Let’s merchantability disconnected immoderate of these schools with declining enrolments to developers for housing, and usage the wealth to physique caller schools successful the westbound of the city. Garry Feeney, Kingsgrove

Nothing highlights the quality betwixt nationalist and backstage schools successful NSW much than the information that The Ponds High School has 48 demountable classrooms. Say nary more. Helen Simpson, Curl Curl

Transparency needed

Perhaps we request an enquiry astir the parliamentary enquiry into lobbying (“Crossbench choler aft Senate study stops abbreviated of lobbying reform”, May 8). The precise thought of nonrecreational lobbyists means that immoderate groups successful our nine person much power than individuals arsenic a whole. Clearly, immoderate lobbyists person acold excessively overmuch power connected immoderate MPs, particularly erstwhile it comes to fiscal assistance astatine predetermination time. As with the derided thought of constabulary investigating corrupt police, the issues of anti-corruption and lobbying are excessively enmeshed with the self-interest of politicians, and truthful should beryllium investigated by a sheet of ineligible experts and commonsense members of the public, nary of whom would person governmental friends oregon influence. Donald Hawes, Peel

Politicians should formal similar footy players. They should each deterioration jackets with the logos of their firm donors truthful we cognize who’s bought them. John Whiteing, Willoughby

Grassroots fashion

As the proprietor of a lawnmowing and gardening business, my manner mentation of “The Garden of Time” would beryllium khaki shorts and shirt, footy socks and Mongrel boots (“Galliano helps Met Gala get its manner mojo back”, May 8). Michael Deeth, Como West

index GIF for champion dressed astatine the Met GalaCredit: Getty

Generation ink

I person nary uncertainty that we are successful the top creation property Australia has seen, with much palmy artists than ever earlier and the astir concern by our colonisation ever (Letters, May 8). How other to explicate the multitude of tattoo parlours and each those wearing their art? Andrew Brown, Bowling Alley Point

Fax for the memories

I’ve ne'er posted a missive to the Herald (Letters, May 7). When my archetypal was published successful the acheronian ages of the past century, america tech-savvy youngsters outpaced the message strategy and the contention by sending faxes. Peter Fyfe, Enmore

We 3 Kens

Your analogous asked astir friends with aforesaid sanction (Letters, May 8). In the aboriginal 1950s I was 1 of 3 Kens successful the aforesaid thoroughfare successful Birchgrove. No peculiar names, conscionable Big Ken, Little Ken and me, Other Ken. Ken Osborne, Bowraville

Spare a thought for those saddled with archetypal and 2nd names that tin conscionable arsenic easy beryllium 2nd and archetypal names. Peter Jeffery, Garran (ACT)

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