Mocking victims of the Holocaust has never been funny

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Punching down on an oppressed and persecuted minority is not a joke. It has deadly social consequences (Getty Images)

“We used to call them jokes and people would laugh,” said Jimmy Carr, defending his “joke” in which he described the Nazi genocide of Roma people as a “positive” part of the fascist regime. Mocking victims of the Holocaust has never, ever, been funny and punching down on an oppressed and persecuted minority is not a joke. It has deadly social consequences.

Carr’s trivialisation of the Porajmos – the “Devouring” – which saw 500,000 Roma and Sinti people murdered by the Nazis is the sort of racist filth masquerading as “comedy” that many of us hoped had now died.

Sasha Simic

London

The Bullingdon Club

For the life of me, I can’t understand why people who voted for Boris Johnson didn’t grasp that someone who was a member of the Bullingdon Club would consider themselves above the law.

Trashing a restaurant after behaving through their meal like drunken louts and then throwing down money in front of the owner for repairs was the modus operandi of this obnoxious all-male private Oxford University group. They existed to demonstrate their arrogance and privilege. We have now had two ex-members as prime ministers (David Cameron and Johnson). That is frankly a poor reflection on the British electorate.

I do hope those that destroyed Jeremy Corbyn’s reputation are proud of themselves. They ensured a kind and decent man was thrown into the wilderness with his reputation unfairly shredded and paved the way for the current shambles. I hope especially the Labour ones are proud of the consequences of their selfish efforts, as they survey the wreckage.

Penny Little

Oxfordshire

A pure Jack Russell

Carrie Johnson blames bitter ex-officials for seeking to discredit her. If this is true, she only has herself to blame. Instead of jack russell-cross Dilyn, she should have chosen a pure jack russell terrier, as it would have caught the rats long ago.

Roger Hinds

Surrey

Do we need more economic growth?

In response to Hamish McRae on labour shortages, surely the question we have to ask is not how to keep our economy growing, but do we need to keep our economy growing?

Arguably, with a more equitable distribution of resources, we have a perfectly acceptable standard of living in the west. We should be aiming at a sustainable steady-state economy, which does mean that there can be no progress.

Roland Metcalf

Manchester

Children’s Mental Health Week

This week marks Children’s Mental Health Week. It provides an opportunity to raise awareness of mental health problems and to mobilise efforts in support of the area. In the UK alone, one in four people experiences mental health issues and the social and economic cost of mental ill-health amounts to billions of pounds every year.

Mental health problems are even more worrying when they concern our younger generations, and how we are preparing them to face the growing challenges of adulthood. Mental health services are facing overwhelming and unprecedented pressure, which existed even before the pandemic. This could lead to a lost generation of vulnerable children and young people who are missing out on the support they vitally need.

This year’s theme for Children’s Mental Health Week is “Growing Together”, encouraging children (and adults) to consider how they have grown and how they can help others to grow. Against the perfect storm of a mental health crisis and a pandemic, we must not lose sight of the challenges that the most vulnerable members of society face and ensure that adequate mental health support for all children is provided.

The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition:

Kenny Graham, Falkland House School

Lynn Bell, LOVE Learning

Stephen McGhee, Spark of Genius

Niall Kelly, Young Foundations

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Look to yourself first

There is much fuss being made about energy prices and the terrible corporations wreaking havoc on our finances. Many people are complaining about the cost of items in shops but no one is forcing anyone to buy this stuff. Yes, many of us do not have access to allotments, spinning wheels or looms, and the ability to create a self-sufficient lifestyle. But commodities like energy are not priced by the producer; they are priced by the market (aka the buyers).

If there is a glut of products due to a harvest boom or exceeding demand, the price drops. I don’t recall seeing anyone calling for paying more for coffee or wheat or cars when the producers are having to cut prices to shift stock. Lucky us, we say. As always, whenever you perceive a big problem, look to yourself first. Better still, inform yourself and avoid the problem. Oh, and also ask what political manifesto will really benefit you.

Michael Mann

Shrewsbury