I READ the article (The Examiner, January 20) regarding the costs of sending one's children back to school. When I was young the school had what we called the "Hardship Bin", where people would donate their unused clothing and footwear for families who were doing it tough, no-one cared back then if you wore second hand clothing, I was the eldest of nine children so we all looked after what we received, so as I got older the items were passed down to the next sibling. This taught us several things; you looked after everything you were given and you shared also. At Christmas the Salvation Army used to drop off a box of various goods, these were our Christmas presents. We all were given one present each. In this day and age, children are spoiled and wouldn't wear a second hand item. What ever happened to charity?
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Richard Cooke, Invermay
The sad reality of putting dogs to sleep
IN RESPONSE to Peter Davson-Galle (The Examiner, January 20), it is true that, at the Dogs Home of Tasmania, dogs can stay indefinitely, providing there are no issues that can't be fixed. Gorgeous Bull Arab Chevy is a very good example. Apologies to the Dogs Home if I didn't make this clear. However, that is not the case everywhere in the country and, indeed, across the world. Many dogs are put to sleep through lack of resources. That is the sad reality.
Lucy Colebrooke-Taylor, Launceston
South Africa's mixed messages
IN 2015 South Africa refused to arrest Sudanese dictator Omar al Bashir when he visited the country even after the ICC issued warrants for his arrest on war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.
Just this month South Africa hosted Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, a Sudanese warlord accused of crimes against humanity.
South Africa has no regard for the court unless it's politically expedient.
James Newton, Newstead
Communication for those not online is rubbish
FOR people who aren't online, the council not sending out a simple list of dates with what bins to put on the kerb is really annoying. Many people aren't online and the information about collection of rubbish, recycling and organics is not even in a simple PDF we can ask to be posted. Launceston council pays people to create an online page with the waste collection dates but it's useless to the person that cannot access it. A simple list with yellow and green shaded boxes that people can put on their fridge would be useful. I'm fed up with trying to navigate the system when it could be made simpler. And for the elderly it's almost discriminatory to exclude them from essential information because they don't use the internet.
Coreena Venn, Mowbray
Australia Day facts
I WONDER where Tony McGuinness (The Examiner, January 21) got the information he quotes as facts about his 1949 dates.
I became nationalised in 1975 and had to swear allegiance to the Queen and became a British subject. My yacht had Sydney as a home port yet it was classed a British ship.
Horst Schroeder, Devonport
State's marine laws must be reformed
THE Tasmanian salmon industry is skating on thin ice. In the past decade, revelations about questionable waste disposal, overuse of antibiotics, and now the use of seal crackers (underwater explosives) have finally been disclosed to the public ("Tasmanian's salmon company's request for seal 'bombing' denied" The Examiner, January 21). Causing water pollution, impacting the health of seals, and driving critically endangered species like the red handfish and the maugean skate toward extinction, it's no wonder the social licence for industrialised salmon farming in Tasmania is waning. There are more sustainable ways to feed ourselves. This is not an industry worthy of Tasmania's supposed-to-be pristine environments. To rein in the cracks of salmon farming, the state's marine laws must be reformed.
Amy Hiller, Kew
Tassie AFL team star supporters
IT'S very nice and comforting to hear all these Star Supporters of a Tassie AFL team, but talk is cheap. Tassie has to fork out $2 billion just to have a team. Is any of these "Star Supporters" willing to offer a $20,000 contribution or what? I don't think so.
Magnus Gustafsson, West Launceston
