IN reply to Councillor Dave Hollings (Letters, January 5), I get the impression that he missed the point of my previous remarks. It doesn't matter where the English language originated from; it's what is available now and the general usage that matters.

As he is no doubt aware, languages are a means of written and spoken communication. Each user has to convey the intended exact meaning to each other user and, hopefully, get the same in return. If not, all communication breaks down. Simply put, if one speaks to someone in French, it's useless to reply in German.

Dialects and accents are only good for laughs. How many beautiful girls are OK until they open their mouths to speak? Dialects and accents serve to identify a person's background, generally for the worse; they put you in a box and limit one's career generally. A Scottish or Irish accent may be nice for someone to listen to, but for someone else it can be a source of annoyance.

A strong accent is a disability and more of a hindrance than help, unless you are a comic on the stage.

Since the Sixties, not only have the poorer youngsters been subtly brainwashed to accept a general lowering of learning, morality and behaviour, but also, to a higher acceptance of the integration of the masses and heightened disposition towards the afflicted.

The result being that it is all right to be an unintelligent lout, get what you can without working for it, kick someone's head in if you don't like him, just as long as you help the cripple across the road, believe in racial equality and worldwide government of the masses.

WALMSLEY (Mr), Greenside Avenue, Blackburn.