Dear Editor,
Having read the remarks made by Peter Lewis Davis in this week’s Newton News, and being the subject of the attack I would like to express my anger. He is ignorant of the full details of the incident, of how deeply shocked I was by what happened and he has no knowledge of my personal circumstances. Yet he obviously feels he has carte blanche to lecture me and the public on the history of the treatment of those with learning difficulties and disabilities. Living, therefore, I would like to put the record straight.
I have worked in Adult education for a long time providing discrete provision to help those who have been deemed to have failed in compulsory education. I have helped these wonderful people to upskill and achieve their full potential while listening to horrific tales of how they feel school teachers have abandoned them at the back of the classroom choosing to give their attention to ‘the brighter ones’. (The student’s words not mine).
Being an English teacher and having worked with students with learning needs and mental health issues for many years; I would like to suggest this man returns to adult education and recap his knowledge on how to read a letter correctly. He should also pay particular attention to the use of tone, style, fact, opinion and inference in text.
At no point was it advocated the lady who hit me should be penalised for her actions.
Since this event I have been stopped several times and listened to people relating how they have suffered similar incidents. The conclusion of the conversation being; that those who require care are simply not being watched over properly.
Using the premise that freedom of speech is one of our British core values I am compelled to state how offensive this man’s vicious comments are. I would like him to reconsider his remarks and apologise for the hurt he has caused me by writing such an aggressive letter. So in exercising my right to rant in reply to his remarks would like to say: “I am not a town councillor; I do not engage in politics apart from voting at elections. I am someone who experienced an unexpected act of violence. Now I find I must endure this grotesque invasion of my privacy. Without my permission this man stole an episode from my personal life; twisted it out of context and used it for a muck raking exercise to score political points. If I was not married to the man who beat him at the last by election in January; one wonders if he would have bothered to write the letter at all.
This man is the Labour candidate standing again at the By Election in June. I have the intelligence to see this is yet another dubious and bitter electioneering strategy and a badly disguised attempt to bully those people who are related to Independent Councillors; as they are not signed-up members of the Labour brethren.
The lives of individuals with learning difficulties and disabilities and the lives of those related to councillors, regardless of their political persuasion, should be treated with respect. Our lives should not be manipulated and used in sleazy dirty tricks campaigns. At a local level all parties should be working together to improve the environment of Newton Aycliffe; so that its townsfolk can enjoy a better quality of life.
Should the Labour Party machine close ranks and attempt to reply to this letter. They will be showing themselves to be as dishonourable as the candidate they have chosen.
I am left in no doubt that members of the Labour party have no conscience if they have allowed him to stoop so low as to use such an extremely sensitive issue in this outrageous manner.
Finally, I apologise to your readers being unable to entertain them by writing a long list of historical I can only offer them some words once spoken by Plato.
“One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors”
Elaine Lawson Robson