Letter: Strong and civil

Sir: Your editorial comment on our "bash and go" society (19 January) highlights one important truth, that it doesn't take much for many of us to return to goodness.

There is a myth that to be courteous and considerate is a sign of weakness and is only for wimps. The opposite, of course, is true; it requires moral courage and strength of character to keep one's cool, act with dignity, and behave in a civilised manner.

As members of this society can confirm, if enough people are prepared to "stand up and be counted" and eschew the easy road to yobbery, the improvement in the quality of our national and personal life can be quite remarkable.

Yours truly, GERRY HANSON Chairman Polite Society Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire