Open letter to Mayor Ma
A few days ago I read an article in the Taipei Times saying that you had expressed concern about the increase in the number of serious traffic accidents in Taipei. I was very pleased to read that since I have to share the roadways of this town.
May I suggest to you that a possible place to begin might be with taxis? Have you noticed the much higher percentage of taxis on the road since the MRT began operations? In many large cities there are commissions that govern the licensing of taxis. We have nothing like that here in Taipei.
Perhaps an ongoing program could be instituted to inform people of the benefits of following safe driving procedures. These might include driving at safe speeds, pulling over to the side when answering a cell phone and pedestrian courtesy. The program would also have to stress law enforcement to make everyone understand that there are naturally penalties for not being a safe driver. As the number of cars increases, there is no question that we will all have to be more observant, patient and considerate.
Mark A. Linett
Taipei
Women do not invite rape
I am surprised at Michael Teo's comments (Letters, Feb 22, page 8). Teo writes: "A seductive provocation and behavior will definitely invite rape ... But it is still not right to make men bear all the responsibility, when women fail to carry and present themselves properly in the presence of the opposite sex." His words are absurd. What an unbelievable comment!
I can imagine what Teo's brilliant Singaporean solutions might be: to forbid women to dress "seductively" in public, to drink alcohol and to be recognized as rape victims if they fail to behave in certain prescribed ways.
I would like to urge my Taiwan sisters to keep this Singaporean and others like him at a distance.
Cheng Chi-yu
Kaohsiung
The work must go on
I was lucky enough to be in Taiwan during the 2000 presidential election. I lauded the victory of Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and Annette Lu (呂秀蓮); it was a great step in the development of democracy on Taiwan. I firmly agree with Bonnie Hsieh ("Taiwan must defend its democracy," Feb 23, page 8) that the work is not yet done.
The Taipei Times has been a great supporter of the transition of power. Let us hope this paper never joins those who "have begun to regret having gone on record with their laudatory comments about Taiwan's democracy." It is among the duties of the press to uphold a belief in democratic values and to point towards the best solution for current problems. A DPP victory in the legislative election could bring a new start and would strengthen Taiwan's democracy.
Jo Swinnen
Belgium
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