Readers write: Writing about the election, journalism in Mexico
Letters to the editor for the June 20, 2016 weekly magazine.
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton addresses the Planned Parenthood Action Fund in Washington, U.S. on June 10, 2016.
Gary Cameron/Reuters
Writing about the election
Regarding the April 21 article “An odd up-and-down in the presidential race” (CSMonitor.com): I appreciate the Monitor’s steady support in election reporting and editorials because thoughtful voters, dialogue, fair debate, and compromise are necessary elements for a just democracy that will serve all of its citizens well.
It is important, I think, not to conflate those qualities with the status quo. The stifling hold of the two-party system, superdelegates who can block the will of the electorate during nominations, and the undue influence of money in both campaigns and the passing of legislation are elements of the status quo that have led to burgeoning populist movements at both ends of the political spectrum. Large numbers of Americans are demanding that the status quo must go. If fair debate and compromise will deliver on the moderates’ promise, extreme movements will not be as attractive, or seem so necessary.
Jerry McIntire
Viroqua, Wis.
Journalism in Mexico
Regarding the May 23 OneWeek article “Press seeks new ways to tell truth”: This is one of the most important articles The Christian Science Monitor has published. I have visited Tamaulipas, Mexico, and its capital, Ciudad Victoria, over several years. University officials have been kidnapped and never seen again, presumed murdered. A bomb, by the grace of God, didn’t kill a university official I know, although his office was targeted. While I was giving a talk at a hotel, one of the organizers’ children witnessed an assassination at midday in a nearby public park filled with children and their families.
The moral courage of journalists reporting incidents deserves our full and uncompromising support. We cannot allow the voice of truth to be silenced. Thank you for publishing this article and may I suggest a continuous campaign of support until the truth is fully revealed, the innocent are protected, and cartel intimidation and domination are abolished.
Elise L. Moore
Nashville, Tenn.