Anti-Gaelic comments in The Scotsman publications

For many years, The Scotsman publications has seen fit to publish letters and correspondence which put down Gaelic, usually citing "it's a waste of money" or "noone speaks it anymore". Despite the support of The Scotsman via its Gaelic column, the derogatory remarks in the letters columns have been going on for decades. Enough is enough. I'm all for freedom of speech and can completely accept that Gaelic isn't everyone's cup of tea, but the comments go well beyond mere criticism and are at a level that if it was Irish, Urdu or pretty much any other ethic group it would be an offence under race law and the Equalities act and the Scotsman would be censured by the Press Complaints Commission.

This post isn't about being pro or anti Gaelic. It's about freedom of speech and the associated responsibilities that go with it. I want a mature debate at a civilised level, not an ongoing drip drip of Gaelic hate remarks to stir things up and I want the National papers to accept that sometimes they get it wrong.

Please judge for yourselves


In the run up to this year's Mod, the following  letter was published

http://www.scotsman.com/edinburgh-evening-news/opinion/john-gibson-happy-to-leave-it-all-to-the-dogs-1-2558639

Please see the correspondence which follows

Correspondence to 29th October
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/5730322/EEN291012.pdf

To follow this further, please follow Arthur Cormack on Twitter or on Facebook.

Many have said so already, but let me add to the praise which Art has received for doggedly pursuing The Scotsman group for reasonable answers to reasonable questions in such a magnificent and exemplary way.

If you feel similarly, the contact details for The Scotsman are in the letters.

Craig