Dear Editor:
Your Editor in Chief, has a motto for your newspaper, "Get it first,
and
get it right," which is generally followed by everyone connected
with your
outstanding publication. However, Helle Bering's column, "Blaming
the Many
for the Crimes of the Few," unfortunately falls wide of the mark.
It has been my privilege and honor to know the Hon. Sir William Alan
Macpherson of Cluny and Blairgowrie, T.D., for the last twenty
years. He
is the last human being on the face of this earth that I would call
cantankerous. He and his lovely wife, Lady Sheila Macpherson are
two of
the warmest, kindest and most gracious people I have ever met.
Secondly,
although is definitely Scottish, Sir William spent his entire legal
career
in England, first as a barrister, then as a Queen's Counsel, and
finally as
a Justice of the Supreme Court of England and Wales from 1983
through 1996.
Sir William is the farthest thing imaginable from a fire breathing
leftist,
who would grab at the chance to shake the foundations of the
establishment.
Everything about him marks him as a pillar of the establishment and
of law
and order in general. He is the son of a Brigadier, the 27th
hereditary
Chief of the Clan Macpherson, and Oxford educated. His miltary career
began in the Scots Guards, and he then transferred to the 22nd
Territorial
Special Air Service, from which he retired as a Lieutenant Colonel.
His
military career included dozens of parachute jumps in Northern
Europe. He
was subsequently made Honorary Colonel of the 22nd S.A.S. He is
also a
member of the Royal Company of Archers, the Queen's Bodyguard in
Scotland.
Throughout his career on the bench, he was known as a very tough law
and
order judge, who was famous for handing out long sentences. He also
had a
reputation for favoring the government on immigration matters. These
factors, coupled with his background, led the Lawrence family to
protest
his appointment to head this inquiry.
I am not qualified to comment on the details of his report, however
the
fact that he went against what would normally be his perceived
leanings,
tells me that there are problems in the Metropolitan Police
Department. I
would recommend that Miss Bering read the column about Sir William
in The
Times of London that was published on 25 February.
Thank you for you time.
Sincerely yours,
Kevin Rand Gillespie
Chairman Emeritus
Clan Macpherson Association
United States Branch
