Two key words spring to mind, opinion and feedback.

What you'll read is my opinion and clearly that will not be shared by all of the readers, which is where the feedback aspect comes in.

Columns thrive on reaction so if you wish to take issue with anything I might comment on, or even agree with me, please e-mail me, harty@tiscali.co.uk, or write to me at the Herald, etc.

Circus controversy

SO, the 'big top' has come to town, well actually not quite.

Due to Worthing Borough Council regulations, The Great British Circus, with its array of exotic animals, has had to pitch up on private land at Dial Post.

But the travelling show is still having to run the gauntlet from protests from the animal rights lobby.

Ironically, as a results of these protests, the travelling show has received some excellent publicity and seeing the lions, tigers and elephants "do their stuff" on local breakfast TV the other morning evoked memories of heady days in the 1970's when, as a boy, I went to see the likes of Chipperfields, Gerry Cottle and Roberts Brothers at the old Worthing Rugby ground in Castle Road.

The cruelty issue has rumbled on for a number of years.

In fact, I seem to recall the last time the council let an animal- themed circus on local authority land, Brooklands I believe, the animal rights people staged an impromptu protest outside the house of then borough councillor Harold Piggott.

However, they got the address wrong, and Harold's neighbours' Sunday afternoon was certainly not without incident!

Clearly, I have to respect the protesters' opinion, but how far should their concerns go?

If they are that strong in their views about cruelty and exploitation, should they not be also picketing the studios outside 'Britain's Got Talent'?

Because, to my mind, the recent treatment of Scottish Songstress Susan Boyle was far more callous and sinister than a number of well looked after, fed and watered animals entertaining a family audience.

Honouring servicemen

THE recent 65th anniversary of the D-Day landings not only honoured the wonderful servicemen who fought on that day but also reminded us all of the ultimate sacrifices a large number of young men and women made on that fateful day, and throughout the 1939-45 conflict, in order for us all to enjoy freedom and democracy to this day.

Our council tax is used for a number of things over the course of 12 months, but personally, I would like to see the council lay on a civic reception every June at the Town Hall for all of our local ex-servicemen who took part in the Normandy landings.

They are the reason that the Union Flag flies over the Town Hall rather than the Swastika, and sometimes get the feeling that not everybody appreciates what they did for us all.

Perhaps this annual event would go some way to showing our recognition?

Voting error

WELL, I have to hold my hands up, I got my dates wrong, don't worry I'm not pregnant, but failed to register my postal vote for the recent local and European elections.

And as I was enjoying celebrating 20 years together with the commander in chief in Barcelona on polling day I failed to vote for the first time since I got my first polling card back in May, 1983.

Looking at the once again pitiful turnout at the polls, I was clearly not alone, and throws up the usual questions about how we can get voters to exercise their right to vote.

On-line voting or text voting are options but then both are possibly open to abuse, but then again you'd have to go a long way to topping some of the recent MPs' expenses claims when it come to abusing the system!

The bottom line is voting is a privilege, it gives us the chance to change the way we are governed, both locally and nationally, if any of us choose to not to exercise that right, do people then really have any room to complain when the elected officials, put there as a result of an election the non-voters had no part in, fail to deliver?



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