A head for humour
I REFER to last week’s letter from Darryl Moore, “Sharp wit?” (Herald, October 11, 2014).
I totally agree a diplomatic solution should be explored with ISIS, and am so enthused I would be prepared to go out and fundraise in order to send Alannah MacTiernan, Simone McGurk as well as Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, to the middle east on this important mission.
I’m sure ISIS would love to see them and would deal with them appropriately.
Suzanne Hanley
Calpin Crescent, Attadale

Get radical and funk it up
I FIRST visited Fremantle in 1977 while on leave from the British Army, I was sounding out WA as a place to live after some 24 years of military service.
My family and I immigrated here in 1981. In 1977 Fremantle impressed me as a somewhat quaint old town and to be living in the past. Then came the America’s Cup and all the associated hullaballoo. Fremantle was transformed and became something of an “in” place to be, real estate agents started to talk of million-dollar properties, etc.
And it certainly got smartened up. Unfortunately that gloss has been wearing off for years. So the Herald’s recent articles (‘Bitter taste’, ‘Cafes on the ropes’ and ‘Parking curbs’) come as no surprise.
Two letters show opposing opinions: ‘The cars eating Freo’ (Robert Delves) and ‘It could have been different (Robert Glenton) were published last week. First, I would say Fremantle needs to accommodate cars, not drive them away, otherwise you will never compete with the likes of Garden City, the place Robert Glenton prefers his daughters to shop.
My daughter lives in central Fremantle and uses public transport to go to and from work, luckily she has two parking places at her unit which enables us to visit, and being a doctor she needs use of her car when on call. With serious health problems I need a car to visit her, for me public transport is a poor option. At least Fremantle is sympathetic to Acrod holders, but trying to force out residents’ cars is a recipe for further decay. So where to for Fremantle? Something needs to be done over its serious decline. Why did Myer pull out, not because it is on the ropes—it has just opened a new store in Joondalup. Interestingly, in his letter ‘Bye bye Gloria Jean’s, Mark is critical of the owner running a multinational franchise. I guess he means like Ford and Holden.
The city’s “leadership” obviously doesn’t help. A few months ago on a Wednesday in the middle of the trading week the town was closed down for a bloody bike race, thus shop owners lost trade and couldn’t get goods delivered. Then we have the mayor, some weeks ago, castigating the police for rightly pulling up a cyclist for having no bell or light etc, and then wanting to supply these to cyclists at council expense.
Has he not heard of being responsible for your own actions?
Certain parts of Fremantle are a shit heap, if I can be so blunt. The lady with the wherewithal to develop the old woolstores building gave up in disgust after trying to placate a plethora of “conservationists”. So it remains an ugly facade for all those cruise liners visiting the city, not a good shop front at all. My wife and I visit Fremantle every week, but every shop that closes makes it an ever more depressing place. Perhaps a radical new council with futuristic vision would be a start.
Rod Steed
Eyre Close, Bull Creek
The Ed says: Thanks for the letter, Rod. If we can just deal with the woolstores mythology: The owner’s development application was approved, she just never got around to doing it. She complained about heritage rules but they didn’t stop her getting approval.

Lift your gaze
DARRYL MOORE’S letter (Herald, October 11, 2014) says more about his character than anything else.
I have never suggested diplomatic negotiations with ISIS. I have said our current military engagement is poorly defined and open-ended, with no clear objective, end point, costs, or consideration of related negative consequences.
At the very least these questions should be more closely examined and if Mr Moore would care to lift his gaze just a little he would realise there are many Australians who hold that reasonable position.
Melissa Parke
Federal Labor MP for Fremantle

Respect wins respect
PERHAPS Matthew Hanssen (Herald, October 11, 2014) should take note of his polling results in the last federal and local government elections: the electorate did not elect him
He refers to friends with substantial land holdings in Fremantle who aren’t prepared to invest or develop without significant heights. It is sad this is the attitude they take. Fremantle has so much potential, its cultural heritage combined with its location at the mouth of the Swan River and the beautiful Indian Ocean all on its doorstep…and the diverse mix of people within the community.
Developers must respect and complement the existing heritage areas if they wish to achieve public support. Otherwise, Freo will become just another Perth suburb instead of the unique, exciting destination is should be.
Bella, Bicton

A sad decline
I MUST concur with Robert Glenton’s letter (Herald, October 11, 2014) in regard to Fremantle’s decline
I won’t lay blame or offer solutions, just simply describe my experience today.
Having needed to buy various consumer goods lately, I have had to shop in Garden City, but was looking forward to a trip to Fremantle. Unfortunately, I, along with a busload of fellow travelers, arrived traumatised before even setting foot in town.
Three females, who must have been high on speed, got on at the bridge and were screaming the most foul invective, much of it aimed at a young mother and her baby. The baby looked on with wide horrified eyes, while the mother sat stiff with fear.
Although the bus driver told them several times to get off, they totally ignored him, and he had no choice but to continue the trip. I suspect he made the judgement that a heavy hand, or a wait for transit guards could have been dangerous for his passengers. One threatened to wreck the bus and attack passengers.
Once in town there were several other people shouting abuse. Most of us who are still hardy enough to visit Fremantle have learnt to keep our heads down and keep to the busier areas, and totally avoid others. But it  has sadly become a no-go area, as well as a ghost town. My heart breaks for the most beautiful city in Western Australia, and the international reputation it must be getting via our tourists.
Jane Hall
Quadrangle Place, Nedlands

Stop your whinging
YOUR article cannot go un-answered (Cops ignore Hilton ‘crime’, Herald, October 11, 2014).
First, people get both what they pay for, and what they vote for. If you want first-class policing, you need to pay for an extra 3000 police so they become pro-active, not reactive.
Secondly, if you continue to vote Labor, Liberal and Green, then expect status-quo. You cannot effect change by doing the same thing time and time again and expecting a different outcome.
Whilst the Labor and Liberal parties protect their lawyer mates, magistrates, judges and the current legal system, nothing will change. If you want an equal society, you need magistrates and judges who apply the law as laid down, not by interpretation. Laws must be written in plain English so all can understand them. If you do not wish to learn English, which is our base language, that is your problem, not the government’s.
Then you need to scrap the ALS and put the money into legal aid. Then get onto your local, useless government and get it to force its local security service to do what it is paid for (a total waste of money in my opinion).
If after all that, without response, do the Blue Angels solution—form a posse, take up your baseball bats and reclaim your streets.
Stop your whinging and do something about it.
Richard McNaught
Visser Street Coolbellup 

Embarrassing ablutions
THERE has been some discussion around town about the embarrassing state of Fremantle’s toilets.
We all know the feeling when we have friends visit town and can not find a decent toilet to recommend now the defacto rest rooms in the Myer building are not open all week.
Everybody but the council seems to know that this, along with the continual increase in punishment for parking in town (now $2.40 per hour) is what’s driving customers and therefore business out of Fremantle.
Why would you shop in Freo when the suburban malls have free parking and clean toilets?
Anyway, I have a proposal to fix the toilet problem. Let the public use council staff toilets during the day and have council staff use nothing but the disgusting public facilties they expect the rest of us to use.
I am not sure how we can implement this but I am sure council staff would not put up with the same crap we have to, so something would be done to create clean facilities for locals and tourists alike.
I’m open to ideas.
Sean D Corr
Lefroy Rd Beaconsfield

Just disgusted
HI there, I just wanted to inform you about something that shocked me when I left work the other day.
I work in Fremantle on Adelaide Street and as I was leaving work I noticed a new place that had opened up and was disgusted. The shop’s sign offers synthetic urine, amongst some other disgusting products.
I fail to understand why we have to put up with a place like this being opened when so many shops have shut down, not to mention it is placed between normal shops. Why would this be allowed when we have so much trouble in Fremantle as it is with so many undesirable people around? I feel this is only going to make this situation so much worse. I work with a lot of young people (uni students and high school) and even they are disgusted.
I love Fremantle and have worked here for seven years and understand what they plan for Fremantle and look forward to the changes, but really, why do we need this sort of place?
It really saddens me. Look forward to hearing from you with regard to this matter and also other Fremantle locals, thanks again for your time.
Rossana Manning
Coolgardie Ave, East Fremantle