Readers' letters: Sectarianism is alive and well in Scotland

After slamming the mindless bottle throwing at Ibrox, Celtic's manager said "I don't know what people are trying to achieve by doing this." Welcome to sectarian Scotland, Mr Postecoglou.

Rangers groundstaff inspect the pitch for glass after a bottle is thrown at Celtic's Joe Hart

The dangerous people who threw the glass bottles probably don't know either. That's the nature of inbred bigotry. A few years back, the SNP's well intentioned but less than perfect anti-sectarianism Bill was repealed by opposition parties at Holyrood. With no sign of any alternative, the MSPs who opposed this Bill have rested on their laurels with a victory of the SNP rather than come up with any solutions to Scotland's problem with sectarianism.

So, where do we go from here? We need to meet sectarianism head on as we gradually move towards a more secular society and legislate to repeal the archaic 1918 Education Act that segregated school children at an impressionable age in separate schools.

This may be too late for the Ibrox bottle throwers, but it would be a progressive start to challenge sectarianism.

Jack Fraser, Musselburgh.

Tackling war crimes

I can't help feeling that the news from Ukraine has gone far beyond war crimes.

Shootings in front of families, booby trapping bodies, stealing humanitarian aid and deliberately targeting civilians and using them as human shields are crimes against humanity itself.

Keeping a 'dignified' distance so as to avoid a third world war or damage our economy and the like are no longer 'options', in my view. Every nation must choose for or against, not the war itself, but the actions of the Kremlin. If we haven't the courage, as Kennedy did with Cuba, to issue an ultimatum for war, then surely any country including France, Hungary, India must be tossed out of the 'humanity club' and immediately sanctioned.

In my day, there was much discussion as to how the German population could just stay quiet in the face of atrocities. The answer was that they ignored it at the beginning until it was too late.

I feel the UK Government has done a great deal but now is the time for punitive sanctions against the pro-Russia friendly governments, even if it means increased taxes for the better-off to 'pay the price'. What price is Ukraine paying now in human lives and in re-building costs for tomorrow?

If it means delaying environmental matters, then what about the cost now in the pollution of the atmosphere from bombs and dust and potentially from radiation.

I suggest that this is indeed a critical point of no-return. We are either in support of freedom 100 per cent or in silence – putting our own interests first.

James Watson, Dunbar.

Tartan Day jubilee

The hypocrisy overload bell is clanging once more in Scottish politics.

While the Tories are savaged in the SNP’s pre-local election ads and blamed for the horrifying cost of living increases being imposed upon us, the nationalists seem to have no problem providing the cash for their pet projects whenever it suits them.

At our expense, Angus Robertson of the SNP, and presumably his team, have jetted off to Toronto for a ‘’tartan day’’ celebration.

There seems to be no lack of cash for the pretend embassies and this kind of frivolous ‘’celebration,’’ while Scottish drug deaths remain at the top of the European league and food banks proliferate and it is difficult to drive for a few yards in any of our cities without encountering potholes.

We need a drastic realignment of priorities.

Alexander McKay, Edinburgh.

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