I READ with interest your article on a proposed law change (Misogyny could become hate crime as Yousaf consults on law change, October 8).

This led me to wonder, how do you police misogyny? A distinction should be made here between the act of hating women and domestic violence, which can occur to both women and men. Domestic violence and assault are already covered by Scots law, so why the need for additional legislation?

Excepting violent crime, hatred is unfortunately a part of human nature and a negative one at that. Is it the role of the state to punish people who hate women? Is it the role of the state to punish women who hate men, and for that matter what name is given to the crime of hating men?

The Scottish Government tried a few years ago to stem hate crime and sectarianism at football matches. It failed. It was impossible to police. Football fans continued to sing the same tunes but merely changed the words.

Nelson Mandela once said that hatred is learned. I agree with him and often it is learned at an early age. My view is that education in the early years can help solve the problem, but again attitudes are often formed at home.

In conclusion, what is the point of repackaging legislation that already exists? Poverty is still a major problem in Scotland and I believe that problems like this, improving health care and moral education, deserve more resources than vague, rehashed legislation.

WJ Graham
East Kilbride

READ MORE: Misogyny could become a hate crime as Humza Yousaf consults on law change​

OUR little poetry group determined that October’s theme would be historical events in verse. It seemed easy enough until I went looking into poetry in the English language.

It should not have surprised me but I, who for over half a century have believed myself impervious to imperial propaganda, was astonished to find it deep amidst the poetry I love.

It is not British imperial propaganda: it is English imperial propaganda. With the exception of a handful of Scottish and Welsh poets, the poets of this island have extolled the virtues of Britain as the achievements of England. (The Irish poets have never forsaken their identity in their poetry.)

That it is difficult for our friends and kin who are English to fail to see the difference is understandable given that cultural heritage, but mine are now embarrassed when they accidentally refer to England when their meaning is Britain or the UK. For Scots or Welsh who fail to see the difference it is more complex, so I simply refer them to the poem “A Saxon Song” by Victoria Sackville-West and ask if they match up to the racist definition therein. The majority of the current UK Government do in culture, race and mentality.

The contempt exhibited for the three Celtic components of this United Kingdom by a government elected principally by the fourth and largest component has its roots deep in their culture of ignorance of history and belief in racial or cultural superiority. This was manifest at the Tory party conference and at the earlier Labour’s conference. Welsh and Scottish issues were ignored or treated with contempt and Ireland with asbestos gloves.

As a wee boy I often wondered what Captain Duff of HMS Mars, a Scot who was killed at Trafalgar, and his crew who were mainly Aberdeenshire men, thought of Nelson’s signal “England expects...” just 60 years after the ‘45.

Our nation is being treated with the same expectancy and, we are told, approximately the same foe is to blame. For those of us who do not yet see the obvious Scottish solution to this issue it is, perhaps, reasonable to wonder whether or not they feel flowing pride or disgust at Miss Sackville-West’s much-lauded poem?

KM Campbell
Doune

I MADE my home here 20 months ago when I moved up to the Scottish Borders and it is the best decision I have ever made.

I went down to London last week to attend a dear friend’s funeral and stayed for a further few days. Whilst I was there I wanted to “put feelers out” to find out views of people regarding Brexit and Scotland’s independence. The overall picture I found was that most people are breathtakingly ignorant of the consequences of leaving the EU and with the exception of four people who wished us well in our journey to independence they are not at all interested in the future of Scotland and are very dismissive.

One person was particularly unpleasant and said that Scotland costs England too much money, conveniently forgetting that we have a balance of trade surplus and a number of valuable natural resources.

I travelled back to Scotland yesterday thinking that we have absolutely nothing to lose by finally severing our links with England and Westminster.

England has completely lost its way and we must not follow them into the abyss.

Susan Rowberry
Duns