EIGHT years ago, last Sunday, I handed my ID card in and my regular military service ended.
I left knowing I had done a good job, and helped out people whenever I could.
This did not stop the Pandora’s box of emotions that was opened this week with the events that unravelled in Afghanistan.
I have felt betrayed, sad, desperate, absolute rage, my sleep interrupted by nightmares.
There have been better weeks, but I came to realise that what we did as soldiers was absolutely the right thing, the people of Afghan were betrayed by politicians, not soldiers.
I put on my big boy pants and knew that I had to move on as beating myself up, wasn’t helping anyone.
So I decorated the spare room, had a haircut, ran a lot of miles, and spent today looking for model elephants with friends.
I can’t change anything in Kabul airport at the moment, although I would be there if I could, but I will be helping any Afghan refugees that come to our town.
I will now be moving foward but if there are others that feel they can’t, it’s good to talk.
J Farnes, Redditch
I HAVE sent this letter to Rachel Maclean MP:
I am deeply concerned and increasingly horrified as I follow news about the situation unfolding in Afghanistan.
I believe the UK Government could, indeed must, now show global leadership by offering safe haven for Afghans fleeing the Taliban. With Parliament being recalled as a direct need of the urgency of discussing the situation I am writing to ask that you call on the Government to:
1. Commit to resettle at least 20,000 Afghans over the next two years. This must be in addition to those we’ve already committed to evacuating under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP), and a long-term commitment to resettle 10,000 refugees a year globally under the current UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS).
2. Reunite families and bring those in Afghanistan with family in the UK here to safety. The UK’s narrow refugee family reunion rules and the current ARAP scheme leave many British citizens and residents in the UK unable to help their family in Afghanistan reach safety. Without safe routes many of these family members will have no other option but to risk dangerous journeys to reach the UK.
The UK Government has the power to expand the emergency relocation scheme to include Afghan relatives and close family of those present in Britain, reform the UK’s family reunion rules and suspend the requirements for applications to go through embassies and in my opinion must do so.
3. Offer welcome and protection to Afghans seeking asylum in the UK, no matter how they came to the UK and stop returns to Afghanistan. The Government must also scrap their inhumane and unworkable plans in the Nationality and Borders Bill to punish and criminalise Afghan refugees forced to travel to the UK via a dangerous journey. Some refugees will have no choice.
N Braithwaite, Headless Cross
NOT many people are talking about the Government’s Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill.
If it passes Parliament, it will have an impact on all our lives.
The Bill gives unprecedented powers to the Police to ban peaceful demonstrations outright and to ban ‘noisy’ protests.
The definition of a noisy protest includes a protest involving noise made by just one person!
It’s been revealed that the Police Federation was not consulted on this huge extension of police powers. Furthermore, a respected group of former Police Officers has expressed grave concerns.
In a letter to the Home Secretary they said, “Echoing the concerns voiced by the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) and other professional bodies, we believe that this Bill has dangerous and harmful implications for the ability of police officers to enforce the law and for the health of our democracy as a whole.”
If the next time a group of residents, or even a single resident, wants to protest against a housing development or a council decision, the Police could just say ‘No’.
You might expect this from the Chinese Government in Hong Kong, but we shouldn’t put up with it in the UK.
If any other of your readers are worried at the prospect of their right to protest being curtailed, I would encourage them to write to their MP and ask them to oppose this repressive legislation. Alternatively, they could support organisations like Unlock Democracy which are campaigning against the Bill.
P Merricks, Brockhill
I AM writing just to say, I am doing a Pass Wide and Slow Awareness Ride.
It is on Sunday, September 19 and it will be happening in Redditch.
More information can be found on Facebook under Pass Wide and Slow Ride 108.
This is an awareness ride to promote the safety of riding on the roads by giving drivers awareness of how to drive past a horse which is two metres at 15mph maximum.
L Warby, Redditch
I AM delighted to hear the firework display will hopefully be cancelled the trauma caused to dogs has been shocking fireworks are a waste of money and children love Halloween it’s far more exciting I do hope this goes ahead I’m praying for the day fireworks will be a thing of the past as teenagers let them off weeks after at unsociable hours!
L Mason, Redditch
