I FEEL compelled to respond to Kate Meikle’s “Calling out bad ‘good blokes’” column (CN, February 14).

If we’re going to generalise about the woes of one half of the population, then let’s be a little balanced here.

This morning while shopping, my family was verbally abused by a lady who was obviously having a bad day. She had to own her poor public performance, regardless of whether she was male or female.

I could list a long narrative of atrocities committed by women against men and their families, but that doesn’t attract the same sort of unbalanced and continued attack as we see on decent, law-abiding family men.

Let’s take a fresh look at the problem here and call out bad behaviour when we see it, whether it’s from men or women.

Continually alienating the “good blokes” out there by constantly tarring them all with the same brush isn’t helping women to get the respect they deserve.

It has an opposite effect by reducing the numbers of “good blokes” who champion the cause for women.

Kate’s article is also mildly offensive as it generalises men having boys’ weekends away, collectively branding men as emotionally and responsibly absent husbands and fathers. This could equally be said about deadbeat mothers who don’t care for their families.

Steve Elms, good bloke and responsible family man

Old trees lost to development

I’VE just read Paul Costigan’s article on trees (“The shame of our mistreated trees”, CN, February 14). There were three outstandingly beautiful and unusual tall, old gum trees near the old Jamison Inn site that had foot-long leaves.

They were butchered to make way for bland townhouses.

A proper planning process would have kept the trees intact for the benefit of the community rather than destroying them to squeeze two or three more units into a 100-townhouse development.

Jose Robertson, via email

Cans in a box?

IF “Grumpy” columnist Bjorn Moore (“What next, bin ransackers in the night?” CN, January 17) doesn’t like people going through his bin for bottles and cans, why not leave them in a box so they don’t have to.

If he can’t be bothered to take them to a depot for just 10 cents, there are those who are willing. Either way, the cans etcetera are being recycled. Everyone wins

Sheila Hawkes, via email

Free land will fix it

THE easiest way to lower petrol prices is to offer six blocks of land (one in each of the six districts in the ACT) free to independent service stations with the proviso that the maximum price of fuel sold by them is no higher than the average Sydney daily price at the pump. Simple and effective.

Our existing ACT rates, fees, charges, levies, permits, licences, fines, registrations etcetera should be enough to pay for these parcels of land to assist our local economy.

Peter Gately, Flynn

Petrol and water

I OFTEN wonder if the masses crying foul about fuel prices in the ACT are amongst the people who pick up a 375ml bottle of water at $3.50 while at the servo.

Michael Attwell, Dunlop

Faulty testing equipment

IT is difficult to understand why music festivals are still being allowed, albeit that extra medical services are being provided.

Everyone knows that many in the community are risk-takers, but our society has deemed it essential to reduce the level of risk and has used science to do so. One is the speed camera to detect speeding. Another, the breathalyser. What is common to both is that they must be calibrated to government-approved standards, otherwise they deliver false, and therefore, illegal readings.

So how can anyone, including governments, allow pill-testing equipment, which senior toxicologists have declared faulty (infrared spectroscopy), to be used at music festivals that, as on our roads, are life and death situations?

Colliss Parrett, Drug Watch International, Barton