April 2009
Spectacle Letters Column Guidelines. If you write to me about something you read in the Spectacle, I will assume the letter is for publication. If it is not, please tell me, and I will respect that. If you want the letter published, but without your name attached, I will do so. I will not include your email address unless you ask me to. This is in response to many of you who have expressed concern that spammers are finding your email address here. Flames are an exception. They will be published in full, with name and email address. I have actually had people follow up on a published flame by complaining that they thought they were insulting my ancestry privately. Nope, sorry.
05MPilgrim
I'm a bit tired, otherwise am doing fine. Thanks for asking.
Can you tell me the author for "The Unconscious Hypocrisy of 'Schindler's List'"?
I teach a Holocaust class and have often used the article but have lost or misplaced my copy with the byline on it. Since this is also a class in research writing, students are of course taught to be suspicious of anything without an author :-) and I would like to provide them with for this piece which offers so many opportunities for discussion. It does make them think outside of their little boxes!
Sincerely,
Lynne
Can you please help me in relation the censorship of the internet in ireland .
Eircom the main internet provider in Ireland has plans to curb peoples use and enjoyment of the internet by filtering all content on the internet. This *non government* controlled filtering of the internet is to stop the illegally uploading and downloading of copyrighted material. IRMA (Irish Recorded Music Association ) which is controlled by the main record labels ( EMI, Sony, Universal and Warner) are to supply Eircom with the IP addresses of all people they detect illegally uploading or downloading copyrighted materials. If you are found to be illegally downloading copyrighted materials you can be disconnected from the internet.
The filtering of the internet and the treat of disconnection is serving a commercial interest group and is not to the benefit to the people of Ireland. We do not condone piracy but we should never have censorship, surveillance and treat of disconnection from the internet. The internet has become a main part of Modern life people use it everyday for doing business, communicating with friends buying and selling goods, reading the news as well as many other reasons. There is over a billion people in the world that use the internet and half the world have mobile phones to disconnect people from the internet is ending there freedom to work and communicate with the world. Censorship, surveillance and disconnection of the internet for the benefit of music industry is ridiculous. How can a *democratic nation allow a private industry association to dictate what information their population can/cannot read**.* The future of the internet is at stake if we let censorship of the internet start now we can never stop it.
can you please help me make this be known to the public or give me advice in how i should launch a campaign to stop it at the moment i am sending this email and asking people to forward it toThe following email addresses the minister for communication the irish media and eircom (please help forward to the following and to your friends)
eamon.ryan@oireachtas.ie, customer.services@eircom.net, sales@eircom.net
eircomadvertising@*eircom*.net, newsonline@rte.ie, info@tv3.ie
Ger
This letter is in response to the numerous articles covering the controversy surrounding the issue of stem cell research.
As someone who has been pro-life all their life I believe life begins at the point of conception and that those conceived under the laws of the United States are protected by the Constitution and therefore are entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Now has come the day where science has made it possible to freeze an embryo outside the body of a human female. The embryo's natural development into a fully functioning human being is then blocked by being frozen until the time arrives when it will eventually be transferred back to a woman in order to have a baby. The natural progression begins again and results in the birth of a child no different than any other human being.
The controversy surrounding stem cell research concerns the idea of using "left over" embryos as a means of repairing or replacing damaged tissues or organs of those who suffer daily. It has been said there is no greater sacrifice than to lay down ones life for the life of another. As much as I am pro-life I am also pro-quality-of-life and see this as an opportunity for one life that may be discarded as "left over" to serve to improve another's life and hence allow that healed person to not only continue living but live their lives to also help life to continue. I know that if I was to be discarded as "left over" rather than be given the chance to help my fellow human being then all would have been in vain. Many of us are called to perform extraordinary feats as we experience this existence called the human race. I can think of no greater feat than to go from being a "left over" to someone who was able to lighten the burden of another person and perhaps extend their life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.
Joe Bialek