Madam,- If John Robb (October 2nd) wonders why unionists are not chomping at the bit to pursue his ideas for a "new Ireland", he need only look at the page report in the same edition: "Folens to wipe 'British Isles' off the map in new atlas".
This political decision to excise the geographical term "the British Isles" from Irish school textbooks goes to the core of why unionists of all stripes object to any form of "new Ireland" which would mean separation from the rest of the UK.
This risibly petty-minded move encapsulates the obsessive need of many nationalists to excise anything relating to Britishness from the narrative of modern Ireland.
Nationalists may wish that Ireland existed alone in virginal isolation in the North Atlantic, but the fact is that we do not. We are linked organically in countless ways with the rest of these islands - culturally, historically, economically, socially and, yes, even geographically.
Until nationalism can come to terms with what we share in common,unionism can hardly be expected to welcome closer north-south links. Pervasive anti-Britishness provides no basis for any kind of fruitful north-south relationship.
Folens should have the courage to say "No" to the ideologues by reversing its politicised decision, and by bringing back "the British Isles". After all, if UK school textbooks were to try to rename "The Irish Sea", we would all be in stitches laughing at them. - Yours, etc,
DAVID CHRISTOPHER, Camden Street, Belfast 9.