Now is not the time to loosen our ties with Europe and the world

This Referendum is in serious danger of being hijacked: the arguments of the 'Remainers' and of the 'Leavers' are almost all about who can promise the greater material benefit and ensure control over “our own” affairs. Surely we should recognize just how selfish and dangerous these objectives are.

We grew up, all of us in our generation, in the shadow of the Second World War. Our parents spent years in the struggle to win it, likewise our grandparents during the First World War. The 19th century was also a succession of bitter conflicts. We supposed it had ever been thus, but believed that it should not be true for the future, hence the enthusiasm at one time for the League of Nations, then for the United Nations Organization.

But Homo sapiens is still a fiercely competitive creature: therein lies the threat that is largely being ignored in this campaign. With the awesome power that humankind has developed, conflict and destruction are already proving catastrophic. Now is not the time to loosen our ties within Europe and worldwide. We trust it never will be.

This debate should focus on the society to which we wish to belong and to bequeath to following generations, not the antagonistic concerns about who is going to be better. Surely we don't really want to go it alone as Little Britainers. We wish to play our full part within this continent of ours that we share with 50 other countries, and as international partners with a worldwide responsibility.

Prof & Mrs Matthews
Perth & Kinross

You constantly put forward arguments for staying in the EU based largely on economic factors in which you stress the difficulty in trading into the EU markets from outside. What you fail to balance that argument with is that the UK is a large and generally wealthy area, a market that many EU-based companies see as a major part of their business.

Do you think that any of these trading units would want to see trade barriers put in place to stop the UK importing? I could highlight several large manufacturing companies who, until recently, were major employers in the UK until they moved their production into this so called “expanding low cost area” of the EU, but still rely on sales in the UK to maintain and improve their profitability.

Apart from the economic arguments that are put forward from both sides (each with their own sleight of hand), there is the concern that as the EU expands it becomes less “European” than many people would expect or feel comfortable with and that the expansion is based more on a political desire to expand the empire regardless of the consequences.

Many of the people who state that we need to remain in the EU if we want to change this organisation should – and I am not being flippant here – look at that other strange European organisation, the European Song Contest, to see the basic block-voting system that would constantly ensure that the UK could never obtain a position of meaningful influence.

Harry Craig
Wigan

I am voting in this referendum with environmental concerns uppermost in my mind. While I fully support everything that the Green Party claims are essential protections that our countryside gets from the EU, I am still very concerned that the huge increase in our population can only put enormous pressure on our remaining green spaces. I have visions of a future of the UK being one giant housing estate with a few parks in between.

I exaggerate, of course, but the pressure to release land that previously had protection will grow and as we all know, humans always come first. Wildlife and the countryside it lives in will be the sacrificial lamb. I will vote to stay in with a very heavy heart and feel neither cheerful nor triumphant with a remain outcome.

Lynn Brymer
Ashford, Kent.

Some years ago a daily paper ran a picture of Neil Kinnock with the caption: "If this man wins tomorrow, will the last person in Britain turn off the light?" If Boris Johnson, Nigel Farage and their supporters win on June 23 there will be no need to switch off the light. The power will already have been disconnected.

Robin Cooper
Address withheld

On June 23, my wife and I will celebrate nine years of marriage. What I have learned, more than anything, is that if you work together through life's challenges (mental health problems, moving countries, dealing with a child with special needs and ill parents, to name but four), you get a better result for all.

I pray that the people of the UK will realise that, just as is the case with marriage or any relationship, isolating ourselves, putting up barriers and blaming everyone else for our problems solves nothing and in fact only makes things worse. We simply cannot tackle the big current issues of the world like climate change, terrorism, inequality and refugees on our own. Now is not the time to walk away.

Christopher Key
Address withheld

Two minor points on Brexit. In a mature democracy a major change to the status quo would require the support of at least half the electorate, after informed discussion. Brexit intends to spend the putative billions it might save on the NHS, but, after they have removed all the non-British staff, there will be no NHS to spend it on.

Les Galloway
Ulverston, Cumbria

When you vote,
please reason,
don't emote.

Elizabeth Fussell
Southgate

I'm a huge supporter of The Independent and its tradition of not following the mainstream pack when espousing its political view. Therefore, I am particularly shocked to find that today your paper, like so many others, seems incapable of acknowledging a sickening and clear case of homophobia.

To describe the recent killings in America as a crime carried out “on blameless people in a club in Orlando, Florida” is as astonishing as it is disingenuous. The attack was carried out on blameless LGBTQ people in a LGBTQ club in Orlando, Florida, by a man clearly perpetrating a hate crime (whatever else it was, too). Why did your leader writer struggle to acknowledge this simple fact?

Of course we cannot get into the mind of the man who carried out this awful crime but to say, “why he chose that particular place at that particular time,” while again failing to announce the club's orientation, once more shows a level of disingenuousness which I find puzzling.

William Ivory
Address withheld

One of the things that really bothers me is when commentators and pundits try to associate every criminal act perpetrated by a Muslim lunatic with Islam. In these times of great peril, voices of peace, reconciliation and unity should prevail over those of fear, prejudice and division.

It is true that Islam forbids homosexuality – and so does Christianity and Judaism and other religions. Homosexuality is still a crime in 74 countries, and is punishable by the death penalty in 12. Omar Mateen is an American citizen. It is racist and bigoted to associate him with his cultural and religious heritages.

Who murdered Gianni Versace on the steps of his Miami beach mansion? Just last week, a gay couple were attacked in Brighton and one of the victims has lost his vision. Who does not remember the uproar that coincided with the winter Olympic Games in Sochi, when President Putin warned gay visitors not to spread their “gay propaganda” and not to approach children? Who does not remember Margaret Thatcher when she considered the promotion of homosexuality in schools as a criminal activity?

It is time to reflect on the Orlando tragedy and break the cycle of unjustifiable hatred towards people of diverse cultures, religions, creeds and sexual orientations.

Dr Munjed Farid Al Qutob
London

I note the initiative to make school uniforms non-gender specific. However, skirts and dresses are not suitable attire for any child.

As a society we want to encourage all children to take exercise and enjoy physical play activities. Young girls get very self-conscious, for example, climbing on apparatus in a school playground and are frequently teased by the boys for showing their knickers. The result is that girls soon learn to limit their play activities.

Isn't it about time we recognise this and have uniforms which are fit for the purpose of raising fit and healthy children?

Elizabeth Storey
Brighton

How pleased I was to read of the proposed demise of programmes like Homes under the Hammer and Escape to the Country, both of which promote an increase in property prices and encourage people to move to villages at the expense of locals who simply cannot compete with generally well-heeled townies.

Unlike most of Europe we seem to be obsessed with property as a product and investment rather than place to live. Programmes such as these do not help matters and it is about time they were axed

Chris Hunt
Winchester

Four people may have been killed by a bear, or bears, in Japan. Could you perhaps now print an estimate of the number of bears killed by humans?

Penny Little
Great Haseley