Re "Seksan blasts divisive politics," BP, March 10.
This is the best description of the Thai mindset I have read in a long time. If only this speech by the academic could be heard by all the Thai people. His description of how the elite hang on to power by dividing people into good and evil was spot on, and he should be applauded for his outspoken frankness.
Brian Corrigan
Integration still key
Re: "The challenge of big-city diversity", Opinion, March 6.
I fail to see the difference between intercultural and multicultural approaches as mentioned by Ms Montira Unakul, as host communities are only one among a bunch of diverse cultural groups, with no specific consideration or status.
This is therefore in essence multiculturalism, where it is the duty of the hosts to adapt to the guests, rather than the guests to the hosts.
Surely, host communities can have a legitimate expectation and indeed right that their culture should be considered the reference or convergence culture in their hometown. I cannot find any specific argument why "civic cultural integration used in France and the United States" should be discarded in favour of any other approach.
I suppose that Ms Montira expects guests to take off their shoes when they visit her home, and that visitors are not allowed to smoke in the non-smoking Unesco offices.
Thierry Facon
Drivers need manners
Re: "Spooky road toll", PostBag, March 6.
There are plenty of unused roadside hoardings for advertising, although the distraction of eyes off the road is a hazard, as are brightly lit advertising screens, flashing lights to attract drivers to produce stalls, non-standard vehicle lighting and other irritations. A couple of seconds' distraction is all it takes to cause an appalling accident.
In some parts of the country there now appears a sign in Thai and in English "right lane passing only".
Not so on Motorway 7 in Chon Buri, which has the worst driving behaviour in Thailand.
Suggested slogan for a televised message: "Be Thai. Good manners begin at home and belong on the road."
George Layton
Don't let prejudice blind
The picture mentioned by Thierry Facon in his March 9 letter, "Picture's Blurred Signal", was attached by the Bangkok Post.
The picture featured women with headscarves or hijab, covering hair and neck but with their faces uncovered and fully visible.
This is not "burqa" dress, which is where the head, face and body are fully covered.
I welcome the possibility of all countries and the UN to implement more cross-cultural and human rights education so that from a young age, people will not be blinded by prejudices. Also, more on women's rights and the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders 1998, please!
Vitit Muntarbhorn
Another unwanted No.1
On March 6, the most popular air monitoring app, AirVisual, showed Chiang Mai having the highest pollution ranking of any large city in the world.
During the past two days I have seen Chiang Mai rise from 10th to 4th and now to top of the rankings. Forget cities in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and China, Chiang Mai is No.1!
This surely ranks alongside Thailand taking top spot for the most deadly roads in the world. As usual, I suspect nothing will be done about it.
Alan Puzey
Regulation of gun rights
I am saddened by the tragedy at Stoneman Douglas High School. One of my friends taught for seven years at this school and personally knew four of the victims.
Regarding the repeated invocation of the Second Amendment, the US Supreme Court has struggled for more than two centuries to translate this intent into actionable precedent. A key issue is whether the right of "the people" is an individual or collective right. Historically, this right was held to be collective (eg, by a member of a militia), but in a 2008 decision, the Supreme Court affirmed that the right is bestowed on individuals. Nonetheless, the Court has continually maintained that this right is not absolute; regulation per se need not constitute infringement.
While totally sympathetic to the implementation of gun control, I believe that its advocates should change their tactics. The very word "control" is divisive. No one wants to cede control. Doing so is emasculating. Once advocates clamour for gun control, all reasoned discourse grinds to an abrupt halt. Can we instead seek "well regulated gun rights", as suggested by the language of the Second Amendment? In that regard, three questions come to mind:
1. Should we improve gun regulation? Yes. In the latest massacre, the 19-year-old gunman had no difficulty buying an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle and multiple magazines of ammunition, despite repeated warnings about his questionable sanity and intent to the Broward County police and the FBI. Clearly the current regulatory system is flawed.
2. When should we improve gun regulation? Now. There have been a dozen gun massacres with double-digit casualties in the US over the past decade -- representing more than half of such incidents in the country's entire history.
3. How should we improve gun regulation? I don't know. What I do know is that we need non-partisan and reasoned discussion from all sides in order to move forward. I believe that a majority of Americans feel strongly that current gun regulation is flawed and that collectively we can and should do better.
Tom Parkinson
No more Fukushima fish
Taking seafood from contaminated areas of northern Japan means invisible contamination and accumulated caesium are a very big concern. It will take more time to know the impact of contamination, 10 to 15 years after the incident in the case of Chernobyl. Thailand needs to suspend the importation of agro and fishery products from Fukushima.
Thonglor JB
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