Madam, - The statement by Michael Noonan on the wearing of "hoodies" in shopping centres, coupled with similar remarks by other politicians, highlights a growing problem of negative stereotyping of young people by high-profile people in Irish society. One can only wonder if such remarks would be tolerated if made about the dress and fashion sense of ethnic minorities or other groups.
At the end of the day, owners of shops and retail outlets have plenty of power to control access to their own premises. Nobody would deny them this right as long as it is exercised fairly and equally. This is a non-issue in terms of the law. So why then is it constantly raised? We can only assume it is to grab a certain type of headline and create a certain image amongst those who make the statements.
These views show a real distance and lack of understanding of the cultural context of young people today. Maybe it would be more constructive if public figures would get into the habit of highlighting all the positive attributes and activities of young people in a balanced way, which would contribute to a more benign environment for them. - Yours, etc,
MICHAEL McLOUGHLIN, National Youth Federation, 20 Lower Dominick St, Dublin 1.
Madam, - The idea of banning hoodies from shopping centres is simply ridiculous. What next? No jeans with large pockets? Don't judge a book by its cover. - Yours, etc
JENNIFER HEGARTY- OWENS, Ansbach, Germany.