The world must condemn the US on its child separation policy

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Trump has just initiated a policy of separating immigrant children as young as four years old from their parents (REUTERS)

The news that Mexico is the first to condemn America separating children from their parents when crossing into America is not unexpected, but where is everyone else?

All 192 countries should condemn this – the US obviously won’t condemn themselves, even though their five living first ladies have condemned this forced separation.

They say a photo – in this case that of a little boy crying – is worth a thousand words, although the words of Martin Luther King (“To ignore evil is to become an accomplice to it”) or Edmund Burke (“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing”) also brings some clarity.

Tell your politicians, newspapers and anyone else that this really is wrong.

Dennis Fitzgerald
Melbourne Australia

Donald Trump has described immigrants as “animals”, “infesting” the US.

He called the neo-Nazis who rallied in Charlottesville last year “fine people”, even after one of them murdered the anti-fascist Heather Heyer there.

Trump has just initiated a policy of separating immigrant children as young as four years old from their parents and placing them in “holding centres” across the US.

Is Theresa May still planning to welcome Donald Trump to the UK on 13 July?

Sasha Simic
London N16

Theresa May was highly critical of the Australian cricket team for tampering with a cricket ball, slamming the players and saying she was “shocked” and “bitterly disappointed” by the scandal.

For someone so forthright in criticising such “abuses”, she has been rather quiet on the US government and its child separation policy.

Alex Orr
Edinburgh

The Tories have proven they have no interest in protecting human rights

On Monday Lord Pannick withdrew his amendment to the EU (Withdrawal) Bill retaining the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights as part of UK law post-Brexit. His amendment had cross-party support. It was rooted in rational logic. The Lords agreed and voted to retain the charter, yet it was rejected in the Commons by that combination of Conservative and DUP MPs. There were exceptions – Kenneth Clarke supported it and Anna Soubry, it would seem, didn’t vote. The charter’s fate is now sealed, which is a significant loss to human rights protection.

The rise and fall of Pannick’s amendment has had other unanticipated consequences. It has revealed something deep and profound about British conservatism. Conservatives vote to remove rights. There is nothing about the philosophy and practice of human rights that implies that rights belong to the left in politics. Both democratic left and democratic right have rights at their core and have equal claim on them. Human rights transcend politics. That’s part of their purpose. Yet Theresa May’s Conservatives have politicised rights and they have established themselves beyond all doubt as an anti-human rights party.

Unless there is a radical change, those that believe in human rights and the internationalist tradition from where they emerged (of which the Tory party had been part) will find little comfort in the Conservative Party in the years to come. If rights are as important as politics, as many of us believe, can the Conservative Party be called home?

Jonathan Cooper
London WC1N

Some people don’t deserve to be given a platform

Geert Wilders has once again gone for a cheap shot at publicity by planning a “draw Muhammad” (peace be upon him) cartoon competition.

We’ve been here a number of times before. It’s time the media took a step back and realised how easily it gets used as a pawn to spread hatred amongst us, to the detriment of society.

Wilders and his ilk are nothing more than glory-seeking bigots who live for and thrive on the coverage they receive. Rather than handing the microphone over to him whenever he makes a statement, the media should either totally ignore him, or use its power to bring people closer together and counter the effect of bigotry which for so long has been left unchecked.

Farhad Ahmad, imam, Ahmadiyya Muslim Community

We should all appreciate the small pleasure of road verges

In Jenny Eclair’s article this week, I was so pleased to read of her delight on seeing the profusion of wildflowers on motorway verges.

Local road verges have also been allowed to burst forth in colour as councils have had to “neglect” them due to cutbacks resulting in these lovely floral edges to boring and harsh looking roads. At the same time as giving us visual pleasure this is helping bees, butterflies and moths and so on, which in turn give birds much needed food.

People generally really do appreciate wild flowers when they see them. We are part of a natural cycle and so often this is forgotten.

Angela Pettit
Windsor

In memory of Australian golf legend Peter Thomson

Peter Thomson, the Australian golf legend who died on Wednesday, achieved remarkable success on the links as well as course design and journalism. His wit and indisputable charm made him a favourite among television commentators.

No one was better fun to play with and or chat to as the shadows lengthened on a summer’s day. I treasure his tales of sharing a room with Sam Snead on the PGA Tour though they are not, perhaps, for a family newspaper.

Taken as a child to see him by my father, who was a huge fan, I had made it into the St Andrews University team by the time I travelled to Birkdale in 1965 to see his last and greatest Open victory over Nicklaus, Palmer and Player.

Rev Dr John Cameron
St Andrews

Leave ‘Question Time’ where it is

Letter writer Henry Carlton asks if Question Time could be shown earlier. I think the answer is no – it is far too scary.

Andrew Jackson
Cardiff