'The world may have changed, but certainly not the lunatics in power!' - Your Letters: June 2

When l was born in 1939 I was too young to understand much about what was going on during World War ll.

But now I see almost a repeat 86 years on. Lunatic despotic leaders seeking dominance over their neighbours and world wide influence through subterfuge.

In 1939 it was Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin and Hirohito. Now it is Putin, China and Trump, the latter who forces Ukraine to sell him their mineral wealth and withdraws their military support, leading to the death of thousands of innocent civilians and to cap it all he taxes The World! 

Meanwhile China through stealth has invested its newfound wealth throughout South east Asia, The Indian Ocean, Africa and The West Indies, Central and South America and now has Worldwide influence and power.

The world may have changed, but certainly not the lunatics in power!

Peter Wright, West Midlands

FORENSICS OFFER US CERTAINTY 

R White's letter 29/5 mentions a new discovery in 2015 which casts doubt on the evidence used to jail a convicted 'murderer' who has already served 38 years. He doesn't say if the prisoner was released, but calls into question the subject of hanging for obvious reasons. 

In reply I would say with the modern forensic techniques available today I would think it most unlikely that a miscarriage of justice would occur, after all 38 years ago is a very long time and things have moved on, so yes bring back the death penalty. At the very least it would save the country (read taxpayers) a fortune.

W I Huxley, Shrewsbury

I'M CONFUSED BY CHARGE FOR CAR

Back in early January I wrote to both Mr Sadiq Khan the Mayor of London and our Stafford MP Leigh Ingham to express my concerns about the criteria that is used to justify the compliance or non compliance of a particular motor vehicle.

I also asked them to supply me with a copy of that criteria. I should tell you that so far I have received no reply from either of them.

To summarise briefly I used the DVLA and TFL websites to confirm that my own vehicle, a Ford Focus with a carbon output of 109 g/km is not compliant while an Audi with a 213 g/km output of carbon is compliant. Surely such things can not be right or fair. 

It appears that although my vehicle does considerably less harm to the environment than another vehicle I am being punished for it.

I do not go to London very often but when I do it costs £12.50 per day. As I said and as is explained in the copy both of these are genuine vehicles and not made up so I think it is totally unfair to discriminate in this way which I can only assume is the difference in the vehicles ages.  So is the agenda just to punish the owners of older vehicles in order to boost the sales of newer vehicles or simply in the end to drive us off the road because we can not afford the cost of a new one. 

I am assuming similar criteria is used in other ULEZ zones like Birmingham. I would be interested to know people’s thought on this matter. Perhaps you may be in a position to check the accuracy of my findings and correct me if I am wrong.

Mr Robert Waller, Stafford

MEMORIES OF HAPPY TIMES

On reading your article on Hinkshay Road brought back happy memories, them were the days when communities all pulled together, because most were in the same boat. Life must have been tough for families, but they all pulled together, if some one was ill or struggling others helped out, very few were out of work, because they knew they'd get nothing off the council or government. But the local councillors were in the same boat and did the they could.

Looking at today's problems most want everything but don't want to work to get it. Hand me down clothes were used till they couldn't be repaired any more, then the were cut into strips and a rag rug was made. A rabbit or two made a good stew and vegetables added to it daily lasted two or three days, with a big slice of bread to mop the gravy up. When times are hard most people then would be there for you, and you will never bring that back again. Unless there is a conflict or disorder and there will nearly always be some one to step up to the plate. They don't get asked to do it or get voted in, they are just that type, which unfortunately are missing now so don't go looking for the impossible because it's just not there now.

Brian Palin, St Georges

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