THE person who recently wrote an anonymous letter, regarding Warrington’s North South divide, was called ‘gutless’ I think, by one of your contributors (Warrington Guardian, December 9).

I think that’s a bit strong but would say that 30 or 40 years ago I too might have felt the same way.

Times have changed and whereas in the past any such disagreement would have been simply that, in today’s atmosphere disagreements are often treated disagreeably.

Today such disagreements often erupt into a culture of ‘cancellation’ at best and violence at worst. Perhaps the writer, aware of that, thought that discretion was the better part of valour.

Take JK Rowling. She’s made herself and along the way, a lot of actors and film companies a lot of money.

Then she said something that very few people would disagree with. Those that did are the very vociferous minority and now, she’s been cancelled.

The point though is that she’s not anonymous and one of her detractors published her home address and the result is that she now feels threatened in her own home.

That’s an unacceptable sign of the times and justifies why some feel it necessary to publish anonymously.

It seems today, if you don’t follow the minority thinking you can be cancelled, at a stroke. This is a very slippery slope.

I seem to recall another movement where things got cancelled: Germany in the early 30s. Music, literature and art had to tow the party line.

Then violence followed as often as it does.

So please don’t be critical of anonymous contributors, be critical of the society we live in.

DERICK ACTON Walton