Long memories

I suspect that some within the Scottish Government were disappointed to read the letter from the representative of the Secular Scotland (Letters, 2 January), and in particular his unfortunate references to democracy and same-sex marriage within the same context.

There is little doubt that Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon would prefer to eradicate from memory the recent public consultation on their proposed redefinition of marriage, during which the vast majority of respondents expressed their desire to retain the current definition of marriage.

And no doubt they have an even greater desire to overlook their subsequent crass attempt to misrepresent the results of the consultation, by discounting the views of tens of thousands of respondents on the bizarre grounds that they all had exactly the same opinion.

George Orwell couldn’t have made it up. Meanwhile, the government’s desire to forget is unlikely to extend to the populace it has so little respect for.

Donald Smith

Westhill

Aberdeenshire

Arguably heading Garry 
Otton’s letter “Tolerant state” Letters, 2 January) is perspicacious as it identifies clearly what is at stake. Shouldn’t we be extolling the value of toleration as the hallmark of our liberal democratic society?

Legalisation of “same-sex marriage” won’t make a jot of difference to what anyone else believes. Christian morality (or more accurately moralities) is but one of others in a diverse multicultural society.

Seemingly toleration, called for by John Locke long ago, is an ideal yet to be realised.

Political philosophers go so far to suggest tolerance is fundamental for modern societies, even that “our survival” depends on it.

Ellis Thorpe

Old Chapel Walk

Inverurie