A Disgusting State of Affairs

Dear Sir

May I refer to your article Police v Public in your issue of 22nd August and say how well in my opinion you cited the case of the Police unjust and contemptuous action in charging with a criminal offence the young Gibraltarian involved with the paramilitary civil guards in Camp Bay.

For the Police to endeavour to hold this young Gibraltarian responsible for this incident while members of the para military civil guards who not only entered dangerously the bathing area but also invaded our territorial waters should not have been arrested and charged is, I submit not only immoral but totally unjustified and against every principle firmly and sincerely held by every citizen who believe in justice and law and order.

The despicable action of the Police in kicking the young Gibraltarian in the teeth when he most needed help must once and for all show the Gibraltarians that absolutely no reliance can be placed on the Police when it comes to defending the people of Gibraltar against the Spanish arrogant invaders and whose maxim seems to be to suit their own ends.

What a disgusting state of affairs for what is meant to be a well organized Police force to defend our rights. Just as disgusting was the case when para military civil guards invaded our territorial waters at Harbour Views firing their arms in the process. Arrested but released two hours later with no charges having been preferred.

The question is who is responsible for exerting Political influence on both these incidents? The Commissioner of Police: Chief Minister or the Governor? Who ever should do well to remember the basis on which our law and order are founded.

If we lose sight of this fact our security is put in jeopardy because we cannot have Politics before Law and Order. May we agree on that Sir?

Yours Sincerely
Francis Gonzalez

Two points

Dear Sir,

What a wonderful letter by Mr Valerga on The Frontier Congestion Charge, as threatened by the 'bankrupt mayor'.

To extol each and every point raised would not add anything further to his extensive work, however two points require some more clarification, firstly, pre-emptive strikes and secondly, withdraw from the tri-partite talks.

What could be done, well let us show this two-bit mayor that it is his city that depends on Gibraltar and not the other way around, so shut out the work force and land him with the problem of then having 17000 unemployed and as to withdrawing from talks, I sincerely believe in that motive but please bear in mind that Spain got what she wanted i.e the pensions and a foot in the airport (after 19 long years) the rest of the agenda was there for the gallery or should I say gullible, and lastly although not mentioned, when is the police to get their larger and faster crafts, promised by you know who.

Yours faithfully,
W.L.Chamberland

PS. Before I am accused of un-christian attitude, please remember who stopped the wine for our churches and the oxygen for our hospital all this from a so-called Christian Country.
 

Suggestion for Carracao: Joint sovereignty of Ceuta and Melilla with Morocco, and return the Campo area to Gibraltar's sovereignty...

Dear Editor,

I think that I have an excellent solution for Mr. Carracao to put in practice as soon as possible.

Firstly, he should address his Government and propose a joint sovereignty deal for Ceuta and Melilla with Morocco. Certainly, the Moroccan Government will have no objection at studying this proposition, avoiding conflicts between neighbours and good friends.

However, there is an easy solution to help Mr. Carracao and the rest of Spain including Mr. Landaluce and other extremists to resolve his Campo problem with regards to Gibraltar

As a democratic government willing to cease anachronistic situations within the EU, Spain should consider to return the full sovereignty of the Campo to Gibraltar in perpetuity, including all of its municipalities. As Fernando Moran, stated in his proposal we too promise to respect the nationality of those living in the Campo if they so desire.

Gibraltar on the other hand will start to develop the new acquired land for a better progress of our new territory and for the benefit of the population at large.

What do you think about this new process Mr. Carracao?

On the other hand, I think that our Chief minister should be forward looking at including these proposals of good neighbourly cooperation within the Cordoba agreement, or should we include it in Brussels?

M. Pereira

Tri-Rubbish

Dear Sir,

Well said Mr M.J.Sanchez, I would not wish the usual mob to confuse you with the one that was wined and dined at our expense and then shows his true colours, but then they all do and moreso when they know that our Mother Country is still monitoring the situation, our own still issuing comments by the moving forward brigade such as this is for Madrid to solve, does any true Gibraltarian believe that because the other Sanchez belongs to the PP, his knuckles are going to be slapped, think again, he is doing their FO dirty work, whilst at the same time Madrid carries on with her aggression towards us and Tri rubbish or new approach can only mean for Spain how many more concessions can we reap, after all we have given nothing, incidentally, it could just be a one off but recently certain airlines are turning sharply when taking off to the west, I thought Cordoba had ironed out this nonsense of air space(s).

Yours faithfully,
W.L.Chamberland

Where were the life guards?

Dear Sir,

I read your report on a local PC rescuing three young cadets at Eastern Beach. My question is, where were the life guards??

Look forward to hearing from you.

Philip Pereira

The Frontier Congestion Charge

Dear Sir,

Although it would be imprudent for Gibraltarians to take radical measures in protest to the impending 'Congestion Charge' proposed by the La Linea Mayor, Sr. Alejandro Sanchez, it would not be unwise to let this Spanish gentleman know that there are many options the Government, businesses and the people of Gibraltar have in order to voice their discontent and make him desist from his illegal plans.

First of all, the people who are going to lose and get caught in the middle of this potential conflict are the 6000 Spanish workers who come to Gibraltar on a daily basis to earn their bread.

I have already heard that many bosses who employ workers from La Linea are genuinely considering sacking a few workers from La Linea, should business suffer an impoverishment due to the above measures.

It is not enough that the Voice of Gibraltar should call every Gibraltarian to boycott La Linea when doing their shopping and to spend their money in any other Spanish town in the hinterland.

Nor is it enough for Union Unite to organise a march of protest on 23rd September 2010.

In my estimation, the ball rests with the Gibraltar Government, and so far, it has not pronounced itself with enough rigour against the above measure.

The time to act is now. Like the Americans, I believe in 'PRE-EMPTIVE STRIKES' There is no point in waiting until the toll collection post is erected on the Spanish side before taking any action as it will then become an established practise very difficult to eradicate by legal means.

For starters, the GSD Government could threaten the Spanish Government that it will suspend all future Tripartite Talks.

Already we are experiencing long queues, so this may just be a fore-taste of what is to come.

The Spaniards always pick on the worst month of the year to artificially create these tailbacks, queues and state of total chaos and paralysis. They seem to prefer the month of August so that many thousands of people and families have to suffer and endure the worst summer heat in their cars, thereby causing as much suffering, aggravation and anxiety.

Cezar Braņa, the Governor of Cadiz, Abel Matutes, Minister for Foreign Affairs, and not so long ago, Juan Carlos Juarez the former La Linea Mayor, all tried in their own unique and different way to cause havoc and queues at this infernal frontier.

I therefore believe that our Government should not go ahead with any more talks until we get a cast-iron guarantee that no Spanish politician will ever use this frontier as a bargaining chip against Gibraltar in future. What is absolutely missing here is good-will. It is impossible to do business with people who say one thing one day and do another thing the next day. This is why we have to show them that we mean business and that we have the superior moral ground and resources to do what is in our power to make them feel the pinch.

In any case, should the P.P. get into power, it is not very difficult to surmise that they will not respect any arrangements we may have agreed upon with the present P.S.O.E. Government. Many people will argue that we are too small to be able to take any action. This is not true. Everyone can do something in their own defence. Even a small scorpion can deliver a very nasty bite to an elephant and make it cringe in pain and we are all supposed to be 'ROCK SCORPIONS' so imagine how many bites we can deliver by just refraining from spending any money in La Linea.

The Ayuntamiento in La Linea is already broke due to the antics of Juarez and his incompetent and money-hungry team. Now the new Alcalde, despite his initial promises of mutual and harmonious cross-border cooperation, has retracted on his word and his antics seem to augur very badly for the poor town of La Linea. It is tragic that a man who has a degree in Political Science, cannot envisage that what he is proposing to do will bring about the total financial collapse of the town that has had the misfortune of having been the brunt of his unconscionable and ill-thought-out actions.

Thanking you
Tito Valerga

Our National pride

Dear Sir,

In my humble opinion, it appears that the frontier situation viz a viz the theatened toll has taken a new ugly twist. This was witnessed last evening by the traffic grid lock that almost paralyzed the Rock. I think its about time that our politicians,unions and other pressure groups get together quickly and begin to formulate some form of defence against this modern day "siege tactics" invented by Little Alex and his troupe of "concejales"

I think its high time that political differences of whatever persuasion be put aside to deal with this latest repugnant assault on our way of life.

I also urge Gibraltarians to evaluate our national pride. We are justifiably proud of our homeland and no bigger proof is the response during our national days. We dress up in red and white and deck our homes with our national colours. We support our sports teams wherever they go and defend the flying of our flag despite adversity from "democratic" Spain.

With all this in mind why don't we exercise our national pride one step further? Let's forget going to Spain until this disgusting episode is over.

Forget about shopping, eating, going to leisure events, beaches and supporting the economy of the Campo until Mayor Alex finds that his supermarkets, shops restaurants chiringitos and cinemas are empty of Gibraltarians and his town in decline. Are we prepared to do it or are we part time Llanitos ? I have no difficulty in boycotting Spain. I was 10 years old when the frontier shut and I don't owe Spain anything and never will. I know that there are some fellow Gibraltarians who are giving Spain a miss so what are we waiting for? Let's show our true colours once and for all. Let's show Spain and for that matter the British Government that we mean business. Now that I have mentioned the British Government, don't hold you breath. Their typical response of "monitoring" everything is in keeping with their foreign policy (or lack off) going back to the days of 1938/39, the Falklands etc. In others words don't expect much from London. Inaction is interpreted by Latin countries as ineptitude and weakness which the FCO in London has never come to grips with.

I would like to finish by issuing a warning. If Mayor Alex succeeds in implementing his toll, it is there for good. Let's not kid ourselves that by discussing the toll in the Tripartite "Trojan Horse" forum and complaining to the pro Spanish EU that the toll will be taken down. The EU will resort to the well tried and tested formula that it is a "bilateral" problem, Britian will bury her head in the sand and as usual Gibraltar will be left a serious problem not of our making. It is up to us the Gibraltarians to put a stop to this bravado before it is too late.

Your Faithfully
Michael J Sanchez

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