Western Mail letter

Dyma gopi o lythyr a argraffwyd yn y Western Mail heddi (Rhagfyr 30ain).
Here's a copy of a letter that was printed in the Western Mail today (30th December).

Sir,

DC Evans ("Daubing's a crime", 22nd December) wrote that "daubing buildings with anti Welsh slogans is ... offensive and unacceptable". Leaving aside the fact that Osian Jones' slogans were not anti-Welsh, we regard the way the large high street chains and supermarkets ignore our language, even in areas where Welsh is the majority language, as much more offensive and unacceptable.

Nobody wants to break the law, but when the law is unjust and there is no legal way to make our point without being completely ignored, unfortunately such non-violent direct action sometimes becomes necessary. The Welsh language is not the optional extra some people seem to think it is. Neither is it a leisure activity for consenting adults only. For many people it is the language of the home, the language of the community.

We are not trying to get preferential status for the Welsh language; all we want is proper equality and bilingualism. Cymdeithas yr Iaith campaigns for the rights of Welsh speakers to services in our own language in our own country. Surely that's not unreasonable. Sadly, the new Welsh Language LCO will do little to ensure that the high street shops provide this.


Barry Taylor

Chair, Caerffili/Blaenau Gwent Cell
Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg