Letters to the Canary: a poem for Gaza, and more Tory attacks on disabled people

The Canary is excited to share the latest edition of our letters page. This is where we publish people’s responses to the news and politics, or anything else they want to get off their chest. We’ve now opened the letters page up so anyone can submit a contribution. As always, if you’d like to subscribe to the Canary – starting from just £1 a month – to support truly radical and independent media, then you can do that here:

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This week’s letters

This week we have a poem for the people of Gaza and a response to the news Tories will be attacking the welfare state again. 

Be My Voice: a poem for Gaza

Do not stare at your screen and weep,
I am not there; I do not sleep.

I am one of the thousands gone.
I am one of the children wronged.
I am one of those who do not wake.
I am one of those killed by hate.

When you wake in the morning rush,
Know I am dead, my body crushed.
Of noisy drones in circling flight,
I am the target picked out in the night.

Do not stare at your screen and weep.
I am not there; I do not sleep.
Do not stare at your screen and cry.
Be my voice, cry war to cease.

Based on the 1930s bereavement poem by Mary Elizabeth Frye.

Ken Moon, via email

Hunt’s attack on disabled people: a response

I think a really relevant point that I haven’t seen anyone make on this issue so far [in response to Canary article ‘Disabled people hit back at Jeremy Hunt’s demonisation of DWP benefit claimants’].

Their own system found these people unfit for work, due to their health conditions and difficulties. So they are just changing the rules to force ill people into work, while quite keenly highlighting their own incompetence, and a distinct lack of responsibility.

So either their system was flawed originally, which is why so many people were able to access these benefits, or it is flawed now and discriminating against people with protected characteristics. Either way, this equals incompetence (not to point out the widely acknowledged obvious at this stage).

Surely, this will also cause quite a health and safety risk for the individuals who should not be working, and any other employees involved, depending on the work people are being forced into?

And duty of care?

Where do these rule changes stand when considering Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Laws?

Kind regards.

Dzintra, via email

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