I am writing from my own experience, in reference to a recent article in the Taipei Times by Wang Chien-chuang ("Judges need common sense to pass judgment," Nov. 9, Page 8).
Several years ago, an accidental death occurred at my former company, in which an electrician, who had no business to be on the roof, fell from six meters through a hole which had been fenced off. He was a good man. Nobody wants an accident. The company and the victim's family reached a financial settlement of NT$6.4 million.
I was the plant manager at the time. My assistant director of maintenance had subcontracted the project to an outside firm. My job was simply to sign my approval. I was not at the site when the accident happened.
I have since been in and out of the court six times on charges of negligence. Everybody was sick of it. I was finally acquitted.
Guess what? The prosecutor was dissatisfied with the verdict and appealed it. Now, I have a new trial at the High Court. My guess is that they want a guilty verdict so the company will have to pay a fine; I would probably get two years probation. But by that logic, if somebody was to jump from a public bridge, would the transport minister be liable?
I wish the Judicial Yuan could explain to me what my liability as a plant manager is, and how long this process is going to take.
Tommy Chang
Taipei
A woman's rights
I read several letters in the Taipei Times recently regarding "soft-porn picture books of college students" and I'd like to respond.
As a woman, born and raised in Taiwan, I agree that this is a freedom of speech issue and students should not have limits placed on their rights in the name of "propriety."
This is not simply because I've lived here in the US for too long; it's a principle that I believe in.
If this woman has the "body" and "guts" to pose for these kind of pictures, why can't she do it? It has nothing to do with other people.
Yes, she will be a teacher someday. But if she can take all the consequences herself, nobody should interfere. And she is not forcing anyone to buy the book, so if her future students buy it, this should be their parents' concern, not hers.
Anyone who's lived in Taiwan for a while knows of the double standard we Chinese have for sex and women.
If a guy (eg, a school administrator) has an affair or keeps a mistress, people would say he must be charming and lucky.
On the other hand, if a wife has an affair then she would be criticized for unfaithfulness to her husband and her marriage.
I don't know how long it will take for people to change their ideas. Maybe they never will.
It is really sad to be a Chinese woman in some ways.
Fang-Min "Kitty" Shu
New Jersey, US
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