THANK you for giving coverage to the intervention by Bishop Hugh Gilbert of Aberdeen. He requested that reassurances be given that there should be “freedom of conscience within the public square” (Bishops appeal to FM to stand by MP who voted against abortion bill, July 19). This was following the abusive attacks on Dr Lisa Cameron for her pro-life stance in voting against the move by Westminster to impose legalised abortion and gay marriage on Northern Ireland. It was right that Nicola Sturgeon has given that reassurance.

READ MORE: Bishops appeal to Nicola Sturgeon to stand by MP Lisa Cameron

However, not only the SNP but all our political parties are being hijacked by the proponents of the sexual revolution. 20 years ago, amongst those who worked so hard to establish a devolved parliament for Scotland, imposing these things on Northern Ireland against their express wishes would have been unthinkable. Apart from anything else, it has given an open invitation to Westminster to overrule our own devolved legislation. But here already gender ideology has entered our education system and is worrying our children and grandchildren, and LGBT have hijacked quite innocent political endeavours such as the women’s movement.

A very brave journalist, Sue Ellen Browder, in the USA, has recently written a book showing exactly how this can happen. The title of this book, Subverted, has as its subtitle, “How I helped the sexual revolution hijack the women’s movement”. Originally the goal of the women’s movement was simply to achieve equal opportunities in education and the workplace, a dream Miss Browder herself espoused as a young woman setting out on her career in 1970 on the staff of Cosmopolitan.

Only a quarter of a century later did she begin to realise how dark the dream had become, and her own part in that, and now 50 years later, she has gone back and traced step by political step how and why this came about.

She sees how it has caused “a cacophony of mixed, confused messages on our culture about women, work, sex, marriage and relationships ... errors that have divided our nation and haunt us to this day”.

Although this book is about America, it is such a moving and meticulous account, it should be on the reading list for anyone entering politics or journalism.

Lesley J Findlay
Fort Augustus

REGARDING the Sunday National article about the proposed Flamingo Land development in Balloch (Plea to government as opposition grows to Flamingo Land plan in national park, July 28), I am in total agreement with the opposition to said development from Ross Greer (and most locals).

READ MORE: Plea to minister over Flamingo Land Loch Lomond development

I was in Balloch yesterday and, as often happens, struggled to cross the road in the face of continuous traffic. Balloch is effectively full summer and winter, and certainly doesn’t need a new and potentially disruptive development.

I frequently walk through the area due to be developed between the village and Loch Lomond Shores and have got into the habit of counting the number of people using this lovely pathway. The other day, in the space of five or six minutes I counted well over a hundred. What a loss that would be to locals and tourists alike, while the potential chaos during any construction period doesn’t bear thinking about.

Incidentally, I love the Loch Lomond Brewery and its many wonderful beers (not to mention its very nice owners!), but surely somewhere can be found for their much-needed expansion without destroying this beautiful area.

Ian Baillie
Alexandria

INDIVIDUALS calling for a unilateral declaration of independence now have got it wrong; by-passing legal procedures would have serious consequences. Nicola Sturgeon is correct to wait and see what eventually happens between the UK and the EU. In 2014 the Scottish electorate voted to stay in the UK because it was, amongst other things, the best route to remaining in the EU. Despite the ultra-right-wing rhetoric heard every day in England there is still a possibility that the UK will not leave or alternatively secure a deal which mirrors, in some way, the single market and customs union which satisfies Scotland’s requirements.

Wouldn’t we look foolish if such a deal prevented Scotland securing early membership of the EU?

Mike Underwood
Linlithgow

PATRICK Harvie’s column (UK has never had a more right-wing government, July 26) provides an excellent explanation of the present terrifying Johnson Cabinet, and I say this as someone who grew up under Thatcherism.

READ MORE: Patrick Harvie: The UK has never had a more right-wing Government

We have slid backwards into a nightmare, surely? Nicola needs to rally all of us now to fulfill Alasdair Gray’s wonderful statement, “work as if you live in the early days of a better nation”. Too many nightmares spring to mind. We in Scotland must act now.

Susan Herzmark
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