JOHN Phillpott paints a picture in words, of moral, social and economic decadence, his article being difficult to refute.

He writes of a society all-too-familiar to those of us that have not succumbed to lying propaganda and brainwashing.

Yet the propagators of the Permissive Society, when their Noddy Book theories have proved to be a nonsense in every respect, are still unwilling to report "as ye sew, so shall ye reap!"

The latest opportunity offered to the "permissives" to hawk their public consciences is the "smacking issue". Some of us can recall the education service prior to 1986, when common sense punishments that took account of the human situation were practised in schools.

Believe me, we had fewer problems in schools then, when teaching was an extremely popular profession.

The chastisement of a child can be an act of love, by parent or teacher. Propaganda parroted by the "permissives" obscures the clear distinction between unnecessary force or violence and natural parental discipline, imposed by sensible means.

Mr Phillpott, yet again, gets to the heart of the problem. Discipline means the control of each for the benefit of all.

The question is, however, whether organised Christianity has the political will, leadership qualities and moral fibre, to tackle the causes of our nations ills, or must we wait for another religious faith/political system, to take the initiative?

COUNTY COUNCILLOR C T WAREING, Redditch.