Readers' letters: Future not so bright at Sunnyside Court

" Looks to me like their true priority is the huge amount of money they will make from kicking people out of their homes and selling the site”

Hanover Scotland's Sunnyside Court retirement home in The Grange

Future not so bright at Sunnyside Court

After your headline report of the closure of four council-run care homes (News, June 12) comes the news that Hanover Housing Association are threatening the elderly residents of Sunnyside Court, with eviction, causing months of anxiety to senior citizens who were expecting to end their days there.

Their statement that all residents will be 'rehoused within a year' makes complete light of the fact that many of these residents will face huge amounts of stress over having to move away from friends and family in their final years. Why not install proper ventilation systems and stair lifts?

Are they certain that “The welfare of our residents is our highest priority”?

Looks to me like their true priority is the huge amount of money they will make from kicking people out of their homes and selling the site.

Marion Lees McPherson, Edinburgh.

Eat less meat – we will all stay healthy

The letter from Sandra Busell (June 10) about being vegan or vegetarian has a sound basis in fact, both health and moral.

Vast vegetable food stocks that could be eaten by humans are indeed used for animal feed, and cruelty in the animal food chain is indisputable.

Acres of terrified penned animals in America have to be seen to be believed as they are filtered off and killed in ghastly circumstances to provide meat for heavy and unhealthy human consumption in the West.

With regard to the prevention of cruelty, there can be no dispute with those who are vegan or vegetarian. But humans are omnivores and those who avoid animal food products do often look the worse for it.

Pale and thin people are to be seen in health food shops, eagerly buying food supplements, and one sometimes wonders if they would be better for the occasional fish supper or plate of mince and potatoes.

As with all things, balance and moderation would be best, but the trend away from meat consumption is definitely to be supported.

Malcolm Parkin, Kinnesswood, Kinross.

Answers, please

Polls asking the public for their opinion invariably come up with the answer the clients want.

Environmental charity Uplift asked ICM Unlimited to conduct a poll asking if the public wanted spending from oil and gas redirected to renewables and the end to oil and gas extraction. They got the result they wanted.

If the poll had disclosed that with no North Sea gas their heating and cooking bills would increase, there would be no bottled gas, petrol/diesel cars could not be refuelled and without aviation fuel there would be no holidays, then a different result was certain.

Clark Cross, Springfield Road, Linlithgow.

Canon law misfiring

In 2014 the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child published a devastating 16- page condemnation of the Catholic Church's record on abuse of children.

It urged that the Church "immediately remove all known and suspected child sexual abusers from assignment and refer the matter to the relevant law enforcement authorities.”

A few weeks ago The Vatican published its flimsy “revision” of canon law including Article 1324 which says that penalties must be reduced if the perpetrator was drunk, acting in the heat of passion, or was “gravely and unjustly” provoked.

The absurd notion that a child can “provoke” their own abuse is a continuing example of the Church marking its own homework.

Neil Barber, Edinburgh Secular Society, Saughtonhall Drive.