Summer Timetable Comes Into Force

This site is now going on to its summer timetable. I have some travelling to tackle and a lot of legwork to do on my next book. My weekly column will continue to be posted as usual, and I will dive in and out with occasional comments and one or two longer postings (I am considering one on the strangely forgotten author Hugh Walpole, whose neglected books I've been sampling lately. I might also take a look at the life of Richard Webster, whose recent death was a sad loss, as he was a courageous opponent of conventional wisdom and an effective foe of injustice).

The intense heavy bombardment of recent weeks has been well worthwhile. Nobody who has visited here could have come away without being better informed than he or she was before about the cannabis debate – and about its real meaning, namely what sort of society we aim to be.

I am grateful for the contributions of all those who have debated here in a responsive and thoughtful fashion, whatever their view.

I'm also grateful to the Labour MP Paul Flynn (pictured), with whom I disagree about most things, who has posted on his website the following kind and welcome words on the subject of Anders Breivik and steroids: 'I am about to say something astonishing.
'Peter Hitchens is correct. There I have said it. It's today only. We share a view on which we have corresponded in the past.
'It's a bit of a puzzle to both of us that few others have noticed. About 80% of mass killers were on drugs - usually anti-depressants or anabolic steroids.
'The blame for most of these terrible tragedies is sought on the availability of fire arms. The failure to observe out-of-character aggression by drug-users is disregarded.'

It is very important that people who are opponents on some issues should be able to distinguish the ideas from the person, and offer support across the chasm when possible. Perhaps the involvement of Mr Flynn in this important controversy may persuade some of the reflexive oppositionists here that, just because Peter Hitchens thinks something, it doesn't mean it is axiomatically wrong.

If you want to comment on Peter Hitchens, click on Comments and scroll down.