Isn’t it about time we gave them a chance?PETE BARRETTCOLCHESTER, ESSEX Spells trouble Sir: No wonder Rhiannon (Virginia Ironside’s Dilemmas, 2 October) is having problems finding a man. Just because someone is unqualified, has no relevant experience, no references and none of the skills necessary to do the job is no reason to discriminate against them. These people find it hard enough to find work without this kind of mindless prejudice. One of those capitals is London and we truly enjoy our close ties with the United Kingdom.CEZARY KROLCHARG?D’AFFAIRES EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF POLAND, LONDON W1 Right to bear arms Sir: It seems to me that those who go into schools in the US to shoot children are unlikely to be members of “a well-regulated Militia” – the sole authority, under the Second Amendment of their Constitution, for deranged people to walk around with machine pistols.COLIN STANDFIELDLONDON W7 The final injustice Sir: Now that it is illegal to discriminate against people applying for jobs on grounds of race, sex, religion or age, there is one group still left out in the cold: I refer of course to people who are rubbish. The good atmosphere of the visit and the warm words of the EU politicians are the best evidence that, despite your pessimistic formulation, Poland still has friends in European capitals. Two hours’ mandatory exercise each day for these brutal dogs would be of far more use than calling for the redrafting of the Dangerous Dogs Act.F GITTOSST BRIAVELS, GLOUCESTERSHIRE Poland’s friends in Europe Sir: In your article “Poland’s ruling coalition rocked by allegations of corrupt dealings” (28 September) you claim that “nationalist, Eurosceptic and noted campaigners against gay rights, the Kaczynski twins have made few friends in European capitals”.During his last visit to Brussels the Polish Prime Minister, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, explained that the Polish authorities are neither nationalistic nor eurosceptical; they are not against gay rights, either.

Sheer boredom drives them to become aggressive.Deborah Orr refers to dangerous dogs being kept in brutal socially excluded communities. Was this just an oversight? Or might there be a Christian mole at work within the Post Office design studio?HUMPHREY FISHERKINGTON, HEREFORDSHIRE ‘Dangerous’ dogs in need of exercise Sir: Deborah Orr in her article “It’s not the dogs people keep that are so dangerous – it’s the lives they lead” (30 September), fails to mention that all dogs need regular exercise and mental stimulation to avoid aggression – how much more so with the breeds specially bred to enable them to be used as guard dogs. The brochure dreams of a white Christmas, celebrates the glittering lights and goodwill of the 2006 festive season, heralds the Christmas countdown. But nowhere even a hint of the fact that Christmas is, or ever has been, a religious festival.This is a well-established tradition: in 2003 we had a selection of snow and ice, suitable as props for Dr Zhivago and in 2004 a cartoon strip of Father Christmas airborne with reindeer and sleigh.But, last year, a lamentable lapse: eight different stamps, each drawn from a different tradition, but each representing the Mother and Child. my bounced finances were heading off to repay debts on other cards.” Poor old Rosie! What a pickle!Hang on, I think I’ve spotted the solution in paragraph one: “I own a couple of flats in Whitechapel.” Here’s an idea – stop pestering us with your pathetic moaning and sell a flat.JEFF PICKTHALLBARROW-IN-FURNESS Secular stamps for Christmas Sir: Connoisseurs of political correctness will approve this year’s Post Office stamps for Christmas: a snowman, Father Christmas sitting atop a chimney, a reindeer, and a Christmas tree.

Rosie Millard’s whingeing “Thrifty Living” had steam pressure venting from my ears.Rosie declares: “I have had three direct debits bounce back this week .. my giant overdraft … This confounding of participial and prepositional phrases is the most common blunder I encounter as a professional editor.Some style guides object to the phrase “due to” unless “due” is adjectival (“the delay was due to …”), preferring “owing to” – but then the constant bleating of adjectival “due to …”s on railway stations is enough to make anyone long for a few straightforward “because of …”s!MICHAEL AYTONDURHAM Destitution amid riches Sir: I read The Independent because it makes my blood boil less than its rivals Until last Saturday, that is. This journey would be impossible to make by public transport so I need to rely on my car. I do not have the option of living closer to my work, as there are few accountancy jobs in Somerset and a house prices prohibit me from living nearer my job.Additionally, on a typical weekend I collect my children from their house on a Friday night, some 20 miles from my home town, maybe take them for a day out to the coast, and then return them to their mother on a Sunday night. This would also be practically impossible on public transport.I do occasionally use public transport and would do more often if it became a viable option.