I trust that they have places reserved in the darkest recesses of hell.JOHN COLE Newcastle upon TyneSir: Margaret Hassan is dead, and her death is a dreadful tragedy. A 12-bore shotgun is inadequate to kill cleanly a large animal like a fox; unless very close, wounding most frequently occurs. So also with a .22 rifle.Following a ban on hunting the inevitable and massive increase in the ownership of rifles and the indiscriminate firing of them at night is a horrific prospect for those living and working in the countryside. Three people have been accidentally shot by lamping in the last two months: two boys, of 12 and 13, shot dead; one man shot and seriously wounded through the chest; and many near misses.

The elected House has expressed, with massive majorities, it's wish to ban hunting with dogs, on a number of occasions.The Countryside Alliance is a rich and powerful coalition of what are essentially minority interests. It really is about time that they ceased their disgraceful and disreputable public antics, and accepted that their cause has been democratically rejected.W P MOORE Fakenham, NorfolkSir: Surely all can agree that the poisoning and snaring of foxes should be deprecated as a means of control. This leaves the "sport" of "lamping" as the primary means by which foxes will be destroyed if there is to be no more hunting.Lamping is very cruel and appallingly dangerous to humans. I take the greatest possible offence that the Countryside Alliance and their privileged, self-serving supporters are prepared to hijack the sacrifice of my father's generation for their selfish, tawdry purposes. I believe that my father would have been as opposed to this odious blood-sport as am I.In the same article, the Countryside Alliance suggests that "It's up to the Prime Minister to show that he is running the party, not his backbenchers." The Alliance's confusion is understandable - given the extent to which Mr Blair has dictated to his backbenchers in recent months - but they really should reflect that we actually do live in a democracy.

He was an ordinary man who went to war because he thought civilisation and democracy were worth fighting for. Let us keep it" (photograph, 16 November) disgusted me.My father died in the wreckage of a burning Lancaster bomber over Germany in 1945. Hunting lobby's tawdry hijack of those who died for freedom Hunting lobby's tawdry hijack of those who died for freedom Sir: The sight of pro-hunt demonstrators with placards, decorated with remembrance poppies, saying "They died for our Freedom", and "They fought for Liberty. I quite like "sanitary inspector" but I can see it might be off-putting No, we must have some proper buzz-words. "Domestic health adviser"? "Pan-medicinal consultant neurophysician"? Or just "Local Hospital Out-Patient Referral Service"? More from John Walsh. The dictionary is full of disobliging meanings for "doctor", meaning to corrupt or make false: doctored wine, doctored accounts. Hell, loaded dice used to be known simply as "doctors".Now, it seems, GPs are after a new title.

At least, the chairman of the Royal College of General Practitioners has complained about the stigma of being thought "just a GP" - some way, esteem-wise, below a consultant.So what shall we call them? Primary care physician? Family medical adviser? "Diagnostician" is too technical, "therapeutist" too close to basket-weaving. He was trying to express his exasperation at the inactivity of the Home Office and police. What came across was that he couldn't stand listening to old bags constantly whingeing about their social conditions.Doctored no moreI've always thought that doctors are ill-served by their professional name. It conveys the opposite of what it wishes to convey.It reminds me of when Jeffrey Archer spoke at the Tory conference about pensioners living in fear of attack.

"I am sick and tired," he snarled, "of having old people coming up and telling me that they're afraid to venture out of their houses after dark" (or words to that effect). The sentiment: "Thank God they're starving rather than us" is a shock to the conscience. In the studio, Justin Hawkins, the hairy falsetto from The Darkness, sang it on the recording and claimed his delivery was better. Stung, Bono rushed to the studio, sang the line again and ensured that his version would prevail.Trouble is, it's not a very good line, is it: "Tonight, thank God it's them..."? You can see that Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, who wrote the song, meant: "Hey, smug First World people, thank your lucky stars you're not famine victims." But it comes across as fantastically heartless.