From Political Brutality to Affordable Dental Care

Ezra Klein’s plea that political debates in America feature mutual respect and tolerance is laudable (“Charlie Kirk was practising politics the right way”, September 14). Sadly, however, that goal is now all but unachievable.
It’s little wonder that violence in political discourse flourishes in the US (and, by infection, elsewhere) when we have people at the top of the pyramid there who daily commit violence to the institutions those rules have built and are supposed to sustain. When those who should know (and act) far better treat the rules with such violent contempt, it’s not long before human beings themselves become the targets of similar brutality.
Adrian Connelly, Springwood

“Charlie Kirk was practising politics the right way” (September 14) is about more talk, less shouting. Which channels the reasonable views that a “society evolves not by shouting each other down”, and that violence and killing are never justifiable. It is important to heed his key messages; that Western societies have largely lost the ability to disagree civilly, and the need to keep people talking instead of operating in ideological echo chambers. His killing, and sober legacy, must serve to highlight the strong message that, in a democracy, the foundation of a free and progressive society is the ability to participate in politics without fear of violence.
Steve Ngeow, Chatswood

Here’s an idea: Graduate dentists

Yet another piece demonstrating the great difficulty in making dental care affordable (“Super extracted for dental care”, September 14). I’ve been proposing a possible solution for years, which is simply to introduce an intern year for graduating dentists, in the same manner as junior doctors. Rather than being fully registered at graduation, which is the case at present, all graduate dentists should then proceed to an intern year, where their salary would be paid by the government. No need to set up massive government infrastructure either, as in my proposal, the intern dentists would simply be placed within existing practices. There would probably need to be some sort of payment made to the dental practice for the use of equipment and various consumables by the intern, but the whole idea is still very viable.
Ross MacPherson, Seaforth

Capping the cabs

The NSW government is to be congratulated on capping taxi fares from Sydney Airport to the CBD (“Flat airport taxi fare to end rank rip-offs”, September 14), but this popular news raises two questions for me. What will the cap be for the 55-kilometre hike from Badgerys Creek to the city, and when will the anachronistic access fee of $17-plus for train travellers to the airport be removed?
Kim Crawford, Springwood

Service over profits

But, but – “the private sector does it better”. Isn’t that the clarion call of the neoliberalism ideology that both sides have adopted? (“Northern Beaches’ patients at ‘high risk’”, September 14). “Government is the problem, not part of the solution.” Please, can we move back to service delivery that I grew up with, instead of everything being for profit, where a young child doesn’t reach his second birthday because we are focused on profit instead of essential service delivery?
Michael McMullan, Avoca Beach

The price of Price

I have been previously unaware of most of the revelations about Jacinta Price in today’s Sun-Herald (“‘She’s making big trouble’: Why Price is unpopular in Yuendumu”, September 14). It’s clear that her reputation is mixed in the Aboriginal community. It is also clear that she doesn’t see herself as confined to Aboriginal questions, with her MAGA Trump-isms and admitting that many would like to see her as prime minister. She is a major political talent, and it doesn’t surprise that the Abbott, Sky, Advance faction see her as very useful in their attempts to roll the current Liberal leader. If they succeed, Australia will be in uncharted political territory.
Gary Barnes, Mosman

Free speech has its limits

Your correspondent (Letters, September 14) “worries about apparent efforts to ban Nazi rallies and prevent far-right groups entering mainstream politics” because of his concerns about “banning free political expression”. My response to him, and like-minded people, is that if the main issue with Nazis is just that they are “nasty voices” with “the occasional salute, flag-waving and name-calling”, then, yes, we wouldn’t have much to worry about. However, history shows that the “bigoted racial slurs” are just the beginning. I wonder if your correspondent would feel the same way had he been vilified or attacked, as some groups were during and after the recent March for Australia?
Kerrie Wehbe, Blacktown

Sub folly a dead duck

Don’t worry about spending billions on a dry dock for the proposed AUKUS nuclear submarines (“$12b pledge for nuclear submarine dry dock ahead of PM’s visit to US”, September 14). The entire concept of possibly receiving this outdated military merchandise sometime down the track will leave us high and dry. Two articles this past week on the Ghost Shark submersible drone reinforce why this dubious submarine folly is a dead duck. The drone is at the root of a rapidly evolving branch of naval technology that will relegate the function of crewed submarines. And in the scheme of things, this “pledge” is just another nudge of the second hand on the Doomsday Clock.
Steve Dillon, Thirroul

A happy wedding ending

What a lovely story of endeavour that made the tragedy of a couple’s wedding dreams turn from disaster to success (“Seven-day scramble after wedding went up in smoke”, September 14). Also, congratulations to Wildwood at Kangaroo Valley for being so co-operative. With a start like this, Stephanie and Brendan, you should have a wonderful life together. Given so much misery in world news just now, it was great to read a story to make one smile.
Nola Tucker, Kiama

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