Letters to the Editor
phoris
Published Letters: 25 Editor's Choice: 6
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Not so newbie
[Read the article: My sister has become a monster cop!]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Many of the letters so far make the point that the sister's exaggerated attitudes are not unusual for people moving into new roles. Unarguable, but it seems to be a red herring. Reading the letter and Cary's response again, it seems monster cop is no newbie, so LW can't rely on a softening of attitude. Cary's ultimate advice to just let it go is wise, which also means grieving for the loss of the old relationship. Once the death of the old relationship is acknowledged, a new one has a chance to take its place.
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The disintegration of justice
[Read the article: At her majesty's pleasure]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]What a richly surreal and dysfunctional picture Kurth paints. In this time of political reaction and populism, have we finally lost any sense of what fairness and justice really mean?
Living with his own stupidity might not have been sufficient punishment, but surely the realities of the 5 weeks spent in this hell-hole should disturb anyone who hopes for fair treatment - for themselves, their families, their friends, or for any human being. We should not accept it.
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Being a bystander is no answer
[Read the article: Sexual harassment in art school]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]LW's dilemma has a broad resonance, because he/she is essentially a bystander, so the question is essentially trying to gauge moral responsibility, offset against the potential personal risks.
But perhaps LW needs to think this through a little more, because any action is taken as a relatively uninformed bystander brings an unacceptably high risk of damage to the reputations (and careers) of everyone involved.
Although taking the received information seriously, LW has apparently had no contact with the victim, so extreme care should be exercised to make sure that facts are established. Untested hearsay is no basis for action.
Going further without trying to elicit the facts and intentions of the victim would be pointless. If contact is made with the victim, the moral course of action will become unambiguous, as it will be the victim's choice. In that case, the LW's current moral dilemma will evaporate, so the only choice really is whether to take the step of getting in touch with the victim. That doesn't seem to be a difficult choice, and if the particular institution has (as is likely) a clearly defined process for making harassment claims, then there should be no undue risk to the LW's professional future.
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Another Bush anti-achievement
[Read the article: America is not Bush]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Sidney Blumenthal continues to illuminate with great clarity the insanity of the Bush administration.
What a monumental anti-achievement, for example, to be able to equate in the public mind, Osama's small rag-tag band of extremists with the huge and very real threat of the Soviet Union in past decades.
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GK reads the same books as GW?
[Read the article: Fathers get no respect]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]"...and the guy in the book says, "Is it so bad, then, to be misunderstood? Pythagoras was misunderstood, and Socrates, and Jesus, and Luther, and Copernicus, and Galileo, and Newton, and every pure and wise spirit that ever took flesh. To be great is to be misunderstood.""
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Why are other electronic manufacturers are so slow to learn?
[Read the article: Why the iPhone matters]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I'm impressed by the 20 minute iPhone demo. It takes a lot to get me excited about any new product, but I would gladly click a link and buy one of these things right now.
Leaving aside the millions of words being written on how the iPhone works, I wonder why almost every other available cell phone looks like it was designed and built in the 1980s. Clunky, bulbous chrome buttons which wobble when you touch them; slides and hinges with way too much clearance, clumsy, heavy-handed design, dust and water traps. Could it be because phone manufacturers only look at other phones - and cell phones came from decades past, and haven't evolved?
There can't be too many secrets now about the reasons for the iPod's success, but phone manufacturers failed to see the writing on the wall, and have allowed iPhone a free pass, and will now have to try to catch-up - those who can.
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The unbearable secret
[Read the article: The imperial vice presidency]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]In reading Mr Blumenthal's chilling surgical dissection of this presidency (and vice presidency), it feels like stumbling into a secret which is too ghastly to reveal, something I can only carry in silence to my grave.
But, am I dreaming? Publishing this beautifully clear analysis brings it out into the bright light of day, and makes it all the harder to understand the stillness of those who are charged with the responsibility of protecting our rights and freedoms (elected government, appointed officials, and the "free" press, for a start).
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Needlessly disingenuous
[Read the article: Why I returned my iPhone]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Farhoo admits candidly in only the third para "but I never intended to keep it", making a mockery of the headline "Why I returned my iPhone"... he was always going to return it, no matter what.
The inconsistencies make this saga more than a little ridiculous... "a $600 phone seemed at least $300 too rich" BUT "This is the story of how I came around", BUT he returned it anyway. Well, did you come around or not?
There is a story here, and he's right, it is about how a breakthrough tech device can subtly improve the way you live your life (though it's good to see above that Luddites continue to breed). A pity it was wrapped in so much BS.
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Astute response, Cary
[Read the article: I've had three miscarriages and my husband won't wear a yarmulke]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Two of LW's comments are red-flagged for me:
"his conclusion is that god doesn't exist. Fine. Whatever.", and
"Combining these two truly fundamental issues in our marriage at once is insane."
The first doesn't ring true - this clearly is a major issue for her. The second is quite startling, that LW could equate the profound setback of infertility with the trivial matter of headwear (OK, I don't mean that to be as simplistic as it sounds, but husband has always been crystal clear and accommodating about the way he practices his atheism).
I think Cary's call on this is perfect, in realizing that the "issues" camouflage the real subtext, that LW is in deep pain, and overwhelmed, and the critical thing is to take care of herself.