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Letters:

Forgive and forget?

I am baffled by the furor surrounding the allegations that Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) beat his wife. How is it that this is even an issue in this election? My wife, a strong supporter of Lien -- despite my arguments against him -- says it is common knowledge that he beat his wife.

I remember seeing a TV interview with Lien Fang Yu (連方瑀) before the presidential elections in 1996, when her husband was the vice presidential candidate. She admitted to the fact that earlier in their marriage, when Lien was under a great deal of pressure "because nothing was going his way and the whole KMT seemed to be against him," he had vented some of his frustration on his wife by beating her. She said she understood and had forgiven him, and that at the time (1995), everything was hunky-dory between them. I guess if she has forgiven him, so should we, but then again ...

This week another story caught my eye ("`Baby bust' kills system," Feb. 23, page 2). Professor James Hsueh (薛承泰) claims that the falling birth rate will cause all kinds of havoc with the education system, especially by putting a lot of teachers out of work. This seems a bit far fetched to me, as average class sizes in this country hover around 35 pupils per teacher. Way back when I was still considering a career as a teacher I recall from some of my course material that the ideal class size is between 13 to 15 students. So if my math is right, even if the number of students drops to half its current level there is still room for more teachers. This seems to be a chance to improve the system and provide a better education in the process.

Maybe Hsueh's department is threatened by budget cuts and making a bit of noise might be a way to get into the spotlight and avoid that painful fate.

Geert Anthonis
Kaohsiung

Call a spade a spade

Fielding questions at a Legislative Yuan committee meeting, Overseas Chinese commission Chairwoman Chang Fu-mei (張富美) told lawmakers that 10,601 overseas Chinese had registered to vote in the election ("Overseas Chinese return to vote in droves," Feb 26, page 4).

While the number is correct, they are not overseas Chinese, they are Taiwanese. Taiwanese in the US identify ourselves as Overseas Taiwanese (Tai-kiau) or Taiwanese Americans (Tai-bi-jin), but not overseas Chinese (Hwa-Chiau).

Taiwanese have been suffering from an identity crisis after 50 years of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) rule and the Taiwanese government should lead the way to restore Taiwan's national identity.

I would like to urge that Taiwan's Overseas Chinese Affairs Commission corrects its name to Overseas Taiwanese Affairs Commission. Using Taiwanese taxpayers' money to serve overseas Chinese is wrong.

Leon Tseng
Wisconsin

Lien Chan is asleep

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) claims that the "one China" is the Republic of China ("Voting for the future, not the past," Feb. 25, page 8). Is Lien sleeping?

His unrealistic, outdated claim makes me wonder if Lien is Don Quixote or a Japanese soldier who hid in an Indonesian jungle for decades not knowing that Japan had lost World War II.

As a presidential candidate, Lien should not have challenged the legitimacy of the Communists in representing China. His challenge puts Taiwan in a dangerous situation.

Paradoxically, Lien also wants to set aside the issue of sovereignty. Is Lien running for the presidency of a country or a company?

According to Lien, the Executive Yuan belongs to the Democratic Progressive Party. He can also claim that the Legislative Yuan is controlled by the KMT-People's First Party (PFP). No wonder the two branches of the government cannot get along with each other. This confrontation victimizes the people.

Lien has been known for wife beating for years. If he did not beat his wife, he should have denied it long ago. If he cannot manage his family without resorting to violence, how will he manage the country?

Ironically, both Lien and PFP Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) have decided not to pick up their referendum ballots on March 20. They want to be president and vice president, but they do not care about the security of the people.

Charles Hong
Columbus, Ohio
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