Dear Editor,
I fully endorse Pastor Daniel Singh’s assertion (‘Letter writers should exercise restraint’ SN July 12) that “the letter column should be a forum for healthy, intelligent, and objective dialogue to bring about more awareness…”  I say not only the letter column but the comments section that follows. 

Personal attacks and verbal abuse in a public forum are uncalled for and are usually the preserve of the ill-educated.  Such attacks will almost certainly stop well-meaning contributors from taking the time and trouble to submit material in future.  Contributors would do well to remember the quote attributed to Voltaire over 200 years ago: “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” 

In any case, slanging matches are so undignified and not worthy of space in a publication of quality. May I add that, in general, comment columns are confined to the news section of national newspapers – at least the ones that I normally read.
Yours faithfully,
Geralda Dennison