Letters: Abortion protesters are driven solely by compassion

That aside, it's at least disappointing that many people in Scotland appear to remain blind to the fact that the protesters in question are driven solely by compassion for their fellow human beings: with rates of abortion in the UK consistently running in excess of 200,000 per year, it's a tragic fact that by far and away the most dangerous place for a pre-born child in our country is in the womb of a "pregnant person".

I can confidently state the above without exaggeration, disparagement or recourse to religious dogma.

Jim Kearns, Paisley.

READ MORE: Why we must keep our care and health services separate

READ MORE: Counselling rooms would end need for buffer zones

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• I THINK that both Gemma Clark (Letters, February 24) and Jim Proctor (Letters, February 23) misunderstand my position on buffer zones. I am not against them. However a 200-metre zone would not impact the current demonstration on Hardgate Road in Glasgow. Why should a woman accessing any maternity facility have to alter her travel plans in order to avoid being confronted by these people? If it was a one-off perhaps, but not daily.

My conundrum is that I believe in the right to protest but not at the expense of causing distress to others. As an architect I was trained to design out problems so my alternative approach would be to design out the confrontation element.

Those opposed to abortion claim the right to offer "guidance", so let’s call their bluff, remove them from the street and stick them in a room. There they can sit all day and every day waiting for women to visit. The key difference is the woman gets to choose whether to engage with campaigners on her terms rather than theirs. It’s about containment and isolation of the problem rather than simply moving it.

And yes, many clinicians I know would strongly object to having such a room close by. But a good architect could design a discreet facility remote enough from clinical staff and facilities yet still accessible if a woman ever does decide to engage with the occupants. I fully accept that for some that would still be an unacceptable compromise.

That said, I can practically guarantee that any such offer will be rejected by the campaigners. They will not only lose the publicity they currently get but they will also be forking out a lot of money for no real gain. It will serve a purpose nevertheless because if they ever go to court claiming that their right to offer "guidance" is being curtailed by the imposition of a buffer zone, a judge will simply ask why the offer of a facility to dispense that guidance was rejected.

Robert Menzies, Falkirk.

Compromise on electric cars

DAVID Hay (Letters, February 27) echoes the range anxiety problem facing anyone contemplating buying an EV. One possible solution he could investigate is a self-charging hybrid car which does not require to be plugged in to an external electricity supply. Instead it combines an internal combustion (IC) engine with one or more electric motors, the former charging the latter. In some such cars the electric motor(s) provides the sole motive power to the driving wheels, and in others the IC engine also provides additional motive power when needed.

As with purely IC-engined cars, all Mr Hay needs to know is where to find a filling station from time to time to top up with fuel for the IC engine.

Alan Fitzpatrick, Dunlop.

The Odysseus lunar lander over the south pole region of the Moon (Image: Intuitive Machines via AP)

Surely this isn't rocket science?

IT seems lots of countries are now able to land a vehicle on the Moon ("Odysseus becomes first private spacecraft to land on the Moon", heraldscotland, February 23). However, they seem to have difficulty landing upright which causes problems with solar battery charging; it's been reported that the US-built Odysseus tipped over and ended up on its side as it landed in the south polar region.

Self-righting robots have been a “thing” for at least two decades, so the technical effort of a Moon landing is being nullified by a perhaps-simple fix.

GR Weir, Ochiltree.

David Wilkie got me a new car

SANDY MacAlister's letter (February 27) reminded me of my £100 20-year old Morris Oxford purchased while living in Innellan in the 1970s. A family holiday all the way to Butlins in Ayr started well with the youngest of four suddenly being posted missing about 400 yards from the house; she was still sitting in her pushchair at the front door (warrant for child neglect has expired).

A first stop at Nardini's after crossing in the ferry left the week's budget stressed after knickerbocker glories were bought, then all went well until two miles short of Ayr, when the car engine expired. A friendly motorist took the family on to Butlins and an RAC van later pulled up, whereupon I became an instant member for about £7 and the car was quickly back in running order.

This episode led to serious thought on how to get a better car and the only realistic option was to start entering competitions with cars as prizes. To my amazement a few months later I won a Jubilee Mini in a Glasgow Herald competition, guessing how far, to the nearest inch, swimmer David Wilkie drove the car on a gallon of petrol. After a short period of enjoyment it was sold and a second-hand Cortina Estate replaced it. It's amazing what desperation can lead to.

James Graham, Clydebank.

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Stepping up to the plate

WILLIE Towers' kind words (Letters, February 28) were the cheese to my macaroni.

May I confirm that I had to jump through no hoops in efficiently and effectively organising my day?

My bottle is half full.

David Miller, Milngavie.