A priggish nostalgia
From Mr John Redwood
Sir: Your leader writer's apparent view that the primary purpose of marriage is to act as a barrier against fraud no doubt reflects his own family circumstances (Leading article, 4 August). Likewise his suggestion that a 'failure' to get married is most likely to be due to procrastination, lack of a genuine commitment to the relationship, or more mercenary considerations.
To devalue a relationship because the couple in it fail to share his point of view is characteristic of the moral absolutist your writer would seem to be. To do so in the tone employed — at once both priggish and sneering — is deplorable; to direct such commentary to a woman in Anna Homsi's situation is despicable.
Many of your writers seem to have strong feelings of nostalgia for better days now gone. As a rule, I do not share these feelings, but reading this piece inspires a certain longing for the time when I could have chastised your writer with a horsewhip rather than a letter.
John Redwood
Auckland, New Zealand
Previous page
