In my opinion Riley-Rose Harper, who I have never actually listened to because I am still asleep (I am 75 years old and need all I can get) is an adornment to your Monday pages.

Her originality of thought, her preparedness to share personal vulnerabilities, her idiosyncratic takes on life put her close to the top of my prize list of society (in the best sense of that word) columnists. Yes, above Maria Galinovic who sweated over her “agony” columns in The Border Mail’s of the 90s.

It’s annoying Riley-Rose has wisdom and insight that took me decades to acquire, and which, I am told, I still lack. 

Please pass on to her my appreciations and affirmation of her skills and my hope her inspiration well does not run dry for the longest time.

Mike Burston (The Border Mail letters, June 8) responds to a previous letter lauding the fact that private schools have some independence over what they teach.

But there in the fourth paragraph he revealed his real point (stated in so many previous letters to The Border Mail): “They would understand the science of climate change is not settled, for example, saving us from a lot of unnecessary propaganda.”

It seems to me that Mike here demonstrates clearly the need to learn how to think. His assertion that climate science is not settled is true but the fact that climate change is occurring is well and truly settled. Only Mike and a small coterie of deniers would believe otherwise.

He could learn from Bertrand Russell who said, in 1935, “science is always tentative, expecting that modification in its present theories will sooner or later be found necessary ….”

Scientists are always challenging themselves to refine and improve the theories and models they use. It does not mean they are wrong, just that they are seeking greater accuracy and are prepared to question all the time.

Just think, once upon a time Newton’s laws of motion were seen to be a complete and accurate description of physical phenomena relating to the movement of objects but Einstein put paid to that with his Theory of Relativity.

I lived in the United States for 12 months on a study tour. Sadly I studied those on death row. Let it be known there was no exclusion zone to those that opposed the termination of a life through the gas chamber or electric chair for those on death row.

I see no difference to the termination of an innocent defenseless child and a disempowered criminal. 

Life must be held in the highest sanctity and if people must protest then so be it. If that mother can't cope let’s put in situ to support her and the poor innocent. Don't let the poor innocent pay the price.

Many of those ill-informed that see this as a cafe latte debate will never get close to seeing the full extent of the termination of a life. Sadly I have.