Letter: Life lessons

I WONDER if "student" Charles Gilmour, the stepson of multi-millionaire musician David Gilmour, knows that the Cenotaph monument that he desecrated during the scenes of hooliganism in the London riot is dedicated to the memory of those who laid down their lives to afford him his freedom in a democratic society.

While I can appreciate that students will be annoyed at the government's policy on tuition fees, especially if they voted for the Lib Dems (your reports), I would urge them to look at the big picture and perhaps regard this episode as part of their broader education, and I would inform them of the following points:

1: Free education is a privilege, not a God-given right, in fact it is not even "free"; it is paid for with taxpayers' money. The taxpayer, incidentally, will also pick up the tab for the damage caused during the London "demonstration".

2: The world is slowly emerging from a financial recession and everyone is facing hard times. The ones who succeed in the coming times will not be those who expect everything to be handed to them on a plate, but those who get off their backsides and work for what they want.

WALTER J ALLAN

Colinton Mains Drive

Edinburgh