Letter to the Editor,
I used to believe that with universal education, greater and easier access to knowledge, growing awareness of how science enhances our understanding of the world etc, we would by now have shed much of the naivety of earlier generations.
And then I read Cllr Robert MacNaughton's latest column in Calne News.
In it he writes about celebrating the Winter Solstice, and blessing the river in Malmesbury. He tells his readers that 'The water in our rivers reacts positively to love and laughter'. Well, I am strongly in favour of 'love and laughter' but, honestly, it won't make any difference to our rivers and I think it is plain silly to claim it will.
He mentions 'our Water Maiden'. So, Robert what exactly is a water maiden and what qualities or qualifications does she have? You also refer to Nik, a 'non-aligned Druid' - which is another term I don't understand.
The 'River Blessing group', he writes, held a ceremony, and offered 'our flowers and greenery to the water of the River Avon; simply to pass on our feelings of love and gratitude...'. One hopes the Avon was duly appreciative of their kindness.
Now while on one level these antics are just harmless nonsense, I worry about them because they are also irrational and anti-science, and they take people for fools. These river blessings which Cllr MacNaughton instigated are a complete distraction and move us not one step forward in the urgent campaign to clean up our rivers.
Imagine if the Suffragettes had tried to draw attention to their cause by handing out flowers to their opponents. Why, women might still be waiting for the right to vote
John Boaler
Chairman, Calne Branch Labour Party