It was unsurprising, although hardly edifying to read the letter from A Bourne (The Weekend Sun, July 24, page 20) regarding the Mayor's reaction of feeling threatened at a local political meeting.

If A Bourne regards abuse and a threatening atmosphere conducive to good politics, he/she is one of the reasons that politics generally is regarded with some disrepute.

A Bourne's further assertion that the Mayor, as a 'former high-ranking army officer” then 'fled the scene” rather than face abuse and threats, begs the question: who is being the more intelligent here? We are human beings and we need to keep our humanity and, yes, kindness to the fore. We managed it following the Christchurch mosque attack and we are mostly managing the Covid-19 pandemic in a similar manner.

I'm grateful that we have sane and steady leadership in our own country. Chaos and abuse deliver chaos and abuse. I'm glad the Mayor exited the meeting.

S Quaddel, Tauranga.