The Bay of Plenty Times welcomes letters and comments from readers. Below you can read the letters we have published in your newspaper today.
TODAY'S LETTERS:
I don't give a fig at fingers gesture
I read recently in your paper that presenter Eric Young has had to apologise after being caught giving a two-finger gesture to another presenter - he thought he was offline at the time. I believe he has had complaints from the public.
Surely those complainants are being too precious.
Far more worthy of our concern is the tragedy in Africa on our screens every night. Children are dying by the thousand of hunger.
What really puzzles me is why these families have so many mouths to feed. I saw one very young woman who had buried four of her five children. I felt so sorry for her but I did wonder why she had five children in the first place when they are so displaced and with absolutely no future.
Surely the United Nations are looking at the demographics and are going to the very basic cause of the problem which is over-population. My thoughts on the matter are probably over-simplification of the problems in a country, the conditions of which we cannot even begin to imagine.
Back to the subject of Eric Young, it does not worry me at all which way he holds his fingers whether on-screen or off.
Robin Bishop, Pyes Pa
Memories wanted
Anglers are passionate creatures and none more so than J Stewart Smith, the man who brought coarse fishing to New Zealand, introducing rudd, perch and carp to our waterways, often to the fury of angling clubs, Fish & Game and the Department of Conservation.
Stewart was formerly a member of the Communist Party who spent four years in prison during the war. Later he was a commercial fisherman, inventor, fish breeder and owner of the Massey Service Station in Auckland. He remained an ardent member of the fishing fraternity from first catching tiddlers in his East London childhood to his recent death.
A biography is in preparation under Stewart's chosen title of That Bloody Pom! We're looking for memories to include. If you've had any kind of dealings with Stewart Smith and you've got an anecdote to share, we'd love to hear it.
We'd also welcome contributions to the debate about introduced fish species and your views on coarse fishing as a sport and tourist attraction in New Zealand.
Whether you regarded Stewart Smith as friend or foe, or because you're passionate about coarse fishing yourself, please tell us your tale. All contributions will be fully acknowledged on publication.
With grateful thanks.
