Letters: Freedom of speech

Her comments demonstrate the very issue she and others chose to attack: ill-informed views and closed minds are at the heart of many seemingly intractable disputes in the world.

The attack on the USA was designed to set back peace and dialogue, and was aimed at democratic societies which are open and permit free speech. Miss Macintosh, and local councillors, by seeking to ban the meeting from Thirsk, play into the hands of the terrorists.

It is terrorists who don't want us to know the truth, who don't believe in dialogue and debate. It is interesting that the new leader of Miss Macintosh's party has today said that the Tory party conference must go ahead, as to cancel it would be to give in to terrorism.

Miss Macintosh denies a platform to an elected MP, and to one of the key figures in the peace process. Four members of the town hall committee denied to the people of Thirsk and district a very rare opportunity to question at first hand the position of Sinn Fein in the peace talks.

To suggest, as Miss MacIntosh did in several interviews, that the invitation to Gerry Adams was damaging to the memory of Joan Maynard was an outrageous statement from someone who never met Joan, and who had no understanding of Joan's principled stand over many years on the troubles in Northern Ireland.

That such a leading political figure had agreed to give the memorial lecture in Joan's name demonstrates the respect that Gerry Adams had for her.

To brand as a terrorist a leading political figure who meets regularly and openly with senior Ministers in this country; who leads one of the political parties involved in the peace process in Northern Ireland; and who is an elected member of parliament, is a shameful response by local and national political figures who should know better.

DON CARTRIDGE

Front Street,

Sowerby,

Thirsk,

Sir, - I am saddened that the people of Thirsk are not to be allowed the chance to hear Gerry Adams speak.

Whether one agrees with his views or not, there are those of us who would have welcomed the opportunity to hear what he has to say, as we realise there are two sides to every argument and both have a right to be heard.

I particularly object to the intervention by the MP for the Vale of York. It is not for her to say what we may or may not see or hear. Some of us would have liked to have made up our own minds about that.

T STARR

Hillside,

Thornton-le-Moor,

Northallerton.

Sir, - Once more bigotry triumphs and freedom of speech is trampled under foot. In seeking to prevent the president of Sinn Fein from speaking at the Joan Maynard memorial lecture in Thirsk much has been made of the accusation that he is a "terrorist".

Whether such an allegation can be proved is another matter. However the use of this term puts Gerry Adams' detractors on dubious ground when a proper examination of the history of Ireland is undertaken.

I would ask your readers to consider who is and who is not guilty of terrorism by looking at merely a few examples of what has been perpetrated in that country by successive British Governments:

1. The massacres at Drogheda and Wexford in the 17th century by an English army in the name of Parliament in which at least 4,000 men, women and children were slaughtered.

2. The million people who died in the 19th century famine and subsequent forced emigration whilst British politicians and civil servants stood by and did nothing,

3. The burning to the ground and looting of the entire city centre of Cork in 1920 by British Army Black and Tans, amongst many other atrocities committed during the Irish War of Independence.

4. The shoot to kill policy of the British military forces in Northern Ireland during the 1970s and 80s.

Britain has been at war with Ireland on and off for the past four hundred years and more. In such a conflict atrocities occur on both sides. The use of the term "terrorist" helps no one. Nelson Mandela was so described by Margaret Thatcher only shortly before he was released from unjust imprisonment to become president of his own country.

What is really needed is dialogue. There can be no peace process in Ireland or anywhere else without it, Unfortunately those who oppose Gerry Adams' visit to Thirsk, including the local Conservative MP, have no interest in either understanding history nor in solving such conflicts.

STEVE HOYLAND

South Terrace,

Sowerby,

Thirsk.

Sir, - Messrs Macintosh and Robinson have succeeded in driving out an invited guest to Thirsk, a man who is an elected member of the Northern Ireland Assembly and who played an important tote in the formulation of the Good Friday Agreement (D&S, Oct 5).

They always seem to forget the Loyalists also have their own terrorist organisations and only complain about the actions of Gerry Adams and the IRA.

As regards Coun Robinson's comments about the timing of the invitation, it seems everyone with a gripe blames it on September 1l, in this case without justification as this was a longstanding arrangement.

The chance to hear from the other side of the divide in Northern Ireland has been lost to the people of Thirsk and that is the saddest part of all.

J P WEEDON

Carperby,

Leyburn.

Jaw not war

Sir, - Reports of outrage (D&S, Oct 5)at the invitation to Gerry Adams to give the Joan Maynard Memorial lecture in Thirsk reminded me that, while shopping a couple of years ago, I found myself watching an Orange parade in Northallerton High Street, with not a murmur of objection.

Surely, North Yorkshire isn't taking sides between the warring factions in Northern Ireland, given both their abominable records of terrorism? Is the Orange movement any more likely than Adams to progress peace?

I don't take sides, and once found myself sharing a platform with Ian Paisley on an environmental issue over there. Contrary to the TV image, he was charming and courteous, and got on well with another platform speaker who was a leading republican. It is amazing what can be done when opposite factions get together over a common cause.

Joan Maynard was a dear colleague on the Revolt Committee who hosted meetings at her home shortly before her death. I didn't know she was friendly with Gerry Adams. We should ask if she would have approved of his invitation to speak, bearing in mind the timing.

Jaw is better than war. However painful our memory of their actions, even the IRA seem to have recognised there's no future in terrorism, and the way forward has to be agreement and reconciliation. Despite the difficulties of putting it into practice, that is one huge step further forward than the horrors linked with Afghanistan.

MIKE O'CARROLL

Welbury,

Northallerton.

Why we acted

Sir, - Following the news last week of the impending visit to Thirsk of Mr Gerry Adams, I have been asked how and why the town council allowed this or indeed organised this. May I explain the workings of the town hall?

The town hall belongs to the two parishes of Thirsk and Sowerby. The day to day management is in the hands of a management trust of whom six are appointed by the councils (and must be councillors) and four represent the public.

Bookings for the hall are made through the secretary, and we assume bookings are for reasonable purposes. We don't ask the WI who is to give the talk on gardening, nor do we ask who any other organisation's speaker is to be.

Mr Cartridge, who is a Sowerby councillor and was until last Thursday a member of the town hall management committee, booked the hall for the Joan Maynard memorial lecture and the councils and the committee were only made aware of the proposed speaker after Mr Cartridge announced this to the press last Monday.

The committee is responsible for the hall and we, as custodians of a public building, would not want anything to take place there that could cause damage to the property. Further we have a responsibility to the other inhabitants of Westgate - the Ritz cinema, several businesses, private houses and the police station - not to encourage anything that might conceivably cause anything like civil unrest.

When the news of Mr Adams' visit became known it was soon obvious he would be persona non grata to a large number of people who were likely to gather outside the hall to object.

He also has, no doubt, some equally fervent adherents and it was to avoid confrontation between the two factions that the vice chairman and I decides that the meeting should be stopped, using if necessary our powers under the constitution of the trust which, ironically, Mr Cartridge helped to formulate.

However, by the time our meeting was held Mr Cartridge and his committee had decided to move the meeting to Middlesborough where perhaps they can better contain the sort of upset we were apprehensive of. I would like to thank all the people who took the trouble to write, fax, phone and otherwise contact us about this visit.

Coun FREDA M ROBERTS

Chairman, Thirsk Town Hall Management Committee.

Stonybrough Lane,

Thirsk.

The appeal's loss

Sir, - It was a shock to learn that a Gerry Adams lecture under Joan Maynards name was due to take place in Thirsk. I could foresee the outcry and the negative effect on a worthwhile project.

The Joan Maynard appeal is a fund set up to help people with terminal illnesses and to provide palliative care beds and specialist nursing at the Rutson and Lambert community hospitals.

No politics are involved, just care and compassion for those with terminal illness and for those carers seeking relief and respite. Medicine has come a long way in extending life but not always in curing.

Joan was a past MP when she came to our community and taught many of us a lesson in compassion for others whatever their politics. She died surrounded by friends and family but realised that in this she was one of the lucky ones.

Because of this lecture some people now tell me they will no longer support the appeal. Who will suffer? Not Gerry Adams. Even if we have very strongly held views, do we need to penalise the sick to make our point?

Whilst the appeal is well on the way, with beds about to be set up, at least £25,000 is still needed.

ELEANOR F HOOPER

Secretary, the Joan Maynard Appeal,

Sowerby Road,

Sowerby