AN ARTICLE in your sister paper, the Gazette, revealed how Oscar Wilde visited Essex twice.

With Wilde being one of my literary heroes, this got me thinking of the colonial teaching curriculum.

Given that Wilde’s view of humanity is covered by the classic quote, ‘There are only two things we ever lie about, age and everything else’ it would be safe to assume his clear knowledge of the limits of human understanding are enveloped in creating man.

God somewhat overestimated his ability!

I equally take the cynical view by saying if this is the way we treat slaves we didn’t deserve to have any. Of course black lives matter.

All lives matter, including those of police officers, so can we find an historical perspective to temper the rage?

I remember attending a book rally at Alexandra Palace, at which the then Education Minister, David Blunkett, was taking questions.

I asked him if he considered it appropriate that our own national anthem is, in reality, a little more than a colonial version of Queen’s ‘We are the champions’ along with ‘Swing low sweet chariot’, another slave song.

Mr Blunkett rightly replied, ‘If we go there where do we stop?’ Changing the school curriculum (much-needed) must also include the role of black slave-masters and that Britain’s role in the slave trade was one of many nations, who built fortunes from such evil deeds.

Politics comes from man, compassion and justice must be at the core.

History’s poison is always written by the victors, which is why I favour animals because they know nothing of future evils and what people say about them.

And judging by coastal day trippers to Bournemouth, dogs have a better sense of beach behaviour than their critics.

Collin Rossini

Main Road, Dovercourt