London St speed

I read with interest the front page news item in your newspaper ("Speed limit 'ridiculous'," October 9). It refers to lowering the speed limit along London St, Wanganui, to 40km/h.

Before anything is agreed upon, maybe those concerned could take a drive to Palmerston North along State Highway 3 from Whanganui into Rangitikei Line. Surely there is just as busy a road outside a high school which is also directly across from a service station.

I'm talking about Queen Elizabeth College positioned directly across from the BP service station with traffic also leaving that site.

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There are two traffic lights facing east and west on both sides of the road, and two more mounted on the middle island on either side of the crossing (a total of six traffic lights). They stand out and can't be missed.

Most of the time I have found that particular lighting is on green, allowing traffic to roll. It's very rarely I find the light switched to red to allow foot traffic to cross.

CYNTHIA COUPER
Castlecliff


High horses

I was amazed at the vilification heaped upon me by K A Benfell (letters, October 4).

He also had the temerity to attack Carol Webb. He moans that those who have contra opinions or beliefs to those expressed by Mandy Donne-Lee (and obviously Mr Benfell too) are intolerant and bigoted because those opinions or beliefs do not conform to his.

She expressed an opinion and so did I. They call that freedom of speech, and readers are left to form their own opinions.

However, we all know ardent god-botherers and right-to-lifers will never accept any form of criticism because only their beliefs count as far as they are concerned.

The bigger the issue, as they see it, the higher they climb on their high horses.

I am sure Mr Benfell will admit that the "morning after pill" has been around since Adam was a cowboy and abortion has been legal for decades. Obviously, abortion is acceptable to the majority of the population, as attempts by radicals to have it abolished and recriminalised have consistently failed.

Thus the carrier of that foetus has the right to terminate its existence from conception through to mid-term pregnancy.

That is fact; it is legal, so any objections are based solely on the beliefs/opinions of the minority. In a democratic society, the larger numbers hold sway.

The issue of euthanasia, once again, is twisted by the vocal minority (recent polling supports David Seymour's bill). Opponents try to muddy the waters with claims of abuse and misuse by people with personal agendas.

Any right-minded person can see there are sufficient checks and balances to ensure instances of abuse are minuscule.

Legislation cannot be based on the off-chance that a few people may die as a consequence. If this was so, we would not be able to drive cars in case there was a fatal crash; trains, buses and trucks would be outlawed and travel between the islands would be a no-no in case a ferry sank! Time to get real.

I have no problem with people with religious and right-to-life feelings, but I do get annoyed when those beliefs are rammed down the throats of those of us who may have contra views.

(Abridged)
D PARTNER (male)
Eastown


Women's right

Carol Webb, in her promotion of abortion, claims to base her beliefs on "intelligence, science, reason, logic."

Science tells us that from the moment of conception we have a new life that is human. A human life. Logic, intelligence and reason all point to the importance of protecting that new life as well as the life and health of the mother.

Ms Webb therefore calls for "women's right to choose" to kill another human being.
So when Ms Webb states that she wants a "fit" abortion law, she means one "fit" for her ideology, not one "fit" for science, reason, logic or intelligence.

K A BENFELL
Whanganui


Sleeping giant

There are 1,123,000 young new Zealanders under 18 years of age.

That is 23 per cent of New Zealand's total population. What a potential workforce.
If we consider the information provided by the Child Poverty Monitor
(http://www.childpoverty.co.nz/) we may direct our attention to the fact that these children represent a huge percentage of our future population.

Collectively they are New Zealand's "sleeping giant".

Consider the outcome if our Government were to regard our nation's children as New Zealand's most valuable asset and invest heavily in that asset. The new "Think Big project"!

Consider further the potential that these children could provide for our nation.
Healthy mothers produce healthy babies. Healthy kids grow into healthy adults.

Warm dry homes provide a better environment in order for kids to thrive. Free health care for children will help maintain good health.

Free education makes it possible for all kids to realise their full potential.

At present our Government fails to honour the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on at least the following three counts:

■Marriage, motherhood and all children are entitled to protection by society.
■Everyone has the right to life, freedom and safety from harm.
■No one shall be a slave or suffer torture.

'Universal Declaration of Human Rights', URL: https://nzhistory.govt.nz/politics/universal-declaration-of-human-rights, (Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated 28-Jul-2014.

KORIA M DAVIDSON
Whanganui